Things from Other Worlds
by SWGoji2001
Summary: Clone Wars/The Thing. An American helicopter carries a squad of Special Forces to investigate a mysterious crash in the Arctic. They find a ruined spaceship and indications of a battle. And a creature. It thaws, and they find it is capable of assuming their shapes and memories. Slowly, they find they can't trust each other. They may not be able to trust themselves.
1. Prologue: The American Helicopter

**Author's Note: Well, here we are. Welcome to the prequel story to my Rebels/Thing fanfic "Who Goes There?". You don't have to have read that story for this one, but I recommend it all the same. Also, please note that this will be somewhat OC heavy.**

 **Remember, feel free to leave a comment/review and favorite or follow if you feel this deserves it.**

 **Language note: For this chapter, all dialogue written as "this" will be in English. Anything written like /this/ will be in Russian.**

 **-0-**

 **Bridger Household, April 1991, Four Years after the events of Outpost 17, codename 'Fulcrum'...**

US Navy Commander Ahsoka Tano looked across the table at Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger, her two subordinates from, and the only survivors of, Outpost 17. Pictures were strewn across the table, pictures from 1970. One showed a US commando team around a block of ice, while another was of a Russian radar crew standing over a hideously disfigured cadaver.

She shuddered as images flashed before her eyes: _A lone figure trudged through the night across the ice and snow above the Arctic Circle._

She spoke, her voice shaking slightly as she relived the experience in her mind. "The Arctic, like the opposite pole, a place where the ragged peaks of ice and mountains jut up to break the empty sky. The craggy peaks constantly met only by wind. Apart from the Antarctic, I struggle to remember a harsher place... a place where the wind wouldn't kill you. The struggle lasts until thought is lost... until dreams are lost. Swallowed by the howling maw of the night. The lights above once brought me peace, in time, they meant nothing."

More images flashed before her: _The figure dragged another person on a makeshift canvas litter._

"People there will tell you that the wind can make you insane... that it strips from you everything that makes you human. Hope. Reason..." Ahsoka shivered, as if caught in an icy wind, imagining the figure stopping and laying the litter down in the snow, and beginning to walk away.

"And compassion." She forced out as the mental onslaught continued. _T_ _he body stirred, getting out of the litter onto their knees. The person turned to her surroundings, and screamed into the howling wind. She struggled to her feet, before stumbling towards something in the darkness._

"The wind. It closes over your senses. It eventually makes you unable to tell the difference between what is real..." _The person stopped and collapsed to the snow as a blinding light enveloped her._ "...and what is not."

 **-0-**

 **Above the Arctic Icecap, February 10, 1970, 0830 Hours**

The UH-1 Huey helicopter thundered over the arctic ice. Inside were two people. A pilot and a passenger who had an M-79 grenade launcher slung across his back. Under their thermal gear, the pilot wore the flight uniform of a US Navy pilot, while the passenger wore the uniform of a US Army Ranger. At first glance, there was nothing off about them. But if one looked closer, they would have seen the raw, crazed determination in their faces. The fate of the world rested on the shoulders of these two soldiers. They knew it did, and they bore that burden like a cross. Their tired, bloodshot eyes were proof of that.

The Ranger scanned the ice with his binoculars as the helicopter flew precariously close to the ground, it's chassis battered by the driving wind. The dials reflected on the pilot's visor as they dipped closer and closer to empty on fuel.

The Ranger yelled at the pilot and pointed at something on the ground. About a hundred feet below them, and 150 yards to the front of them, a dog ran towards a Soviet radar outpost. But this was no dog, it was all that was left of something that had wreaked chaos on the personnel of the American radar station the two soldiers had come from. It turned to look at the helicopter and snarled. It then whirled and galloped off towards the Soviet outpost as a grenade struck the snow where it once stood, throwing up chunks of ice and snow.

Meanwhile, the group of Soviet technicians spent the day relaxing in the rec room or working, blissfully unaware of the impending danger. While run by the military, the Soviet radar station also had several civilians alongside them. It was here in the Arctic that one was safe... well mostly safe... from politics and secret police. You couldn't be sent to Siberia if you were already there after all.

Outside the Soviet outpost, a large, snow-covered building surrounded by several small huts and shacks, several people worked in the snow. Civilian Lux Bonteri knelt in between a snowmobile and the two Mi-8 helicopters as he tinkered with one of the snowmobiles. Two other radar specialists, Private Aleksei and civilian Surkov, gathered some weather data outside the outpost. The faint sound of an approaching helicopter and explosions turned their attention.

Back in the air, the Ranger fired the M-79 'Thumper' at the dog. It dodged to the side as the grenade exploded near it and the Ranger grabbed the M60 machine gun slung on the side of the door and opened fire. He was leaning dangerously outside the Huey, trying to shoot the dog. The snow puffed where the bullets missed the target. The passenger yelled, imploring the pilot to get a better firing angle.

The pilot, albeit reluctantly, complied, the helicopter swooping lower and increasing the throttle to full. The Ranger continued to fire, several bullets striking the target as the helicopter swerved to get a good firing angle on the dog. However, the dog somehow repaired the damage before the pilot could bring the copter around to fire another grenade. It dodged the round with almost supernatural ability. The dog ran feverishly up the final hill before the Soviet outpost as more snow kicked up behind it.

By now, Surkov was looking through a pair of binoculars. He saw 'Navy' stenciled on the side and a soldier leaning over the side, firing a machine gun at something. He did not appear to be interested in the Soviet base at all, however, which was somewhat odd. Lux walked up, /What is it, Surkov?/

/Says 'Navy' on the side and there's a white star. Must be an American helicopter. Passenger's firing a machine gun and grenades at something. I'm not sure what./

/Why would an armed helicopter be up here? There's nothing here but snow and ice! And I thought they didn't know about this place!/ They were forced to duck for cover as the helicopter shot over their heads, circling around and over the Soviet outpost. Bullets ricocheted off the metal roof of the building, startling everyone inside. It swung back on a course behind the dog and once again it flew straight at the Soviet base and continued firing.

The needles finally dropped to empty. The helicopter began to fall, and the pilot attempted a high-speed landing, as the helicopter wouldn't be able to drop enough speed in time. Much too low, the helicopter was slammed into the ground by a downdraft, hot on the heels of the sprinting dog. It bounced once violently on the ice; then it bounced twice, speeding past the dog. The third bounce sent the helicopter skidding across the ice. The Ranger jumped off, tumbling across the ice with the M-79 flying from his grasp. It skidded across the ice and came to a rest in a snowbank. The helicopter flipped over, blades snapping off like toothpicks, until it came to a rest belly up. The only sound was the whistling of the wind through the cracked windscreen and open doors. The pilot had been smashed into the windshield, and she slumped down in her harness. One of the helicopter blades had speared the fuselage of the copter, and had pinned the pilot inside. Her head lay on the ceiling of the overturned Huey.

The flyover and crash had alerted everyone in the research station to the fact that something was wrong. Lieutenant Mikhail the radio operator, Colonel Kariylev the station leader, and Captain Boris the doctor all filed out into the snow as the dog ran up to them. The Alaskan Malamute ran up to Aleksei and began licking and pawing at him.

The helicopter passenger staggered to his feet and double timed it through the snow, leaving his companion back in the helicopter, towards the group of confused-looking Russians. He waved his arms, as if trying to shoo them off, and yelled at them, his face now caked in blood and snow. He yelled something at them in English. The Soviets just looked at him blankly, confused even more. Out of the the twelve of them, only Mikhail knew any English, and it was broken at best. Mikhail turned to Karilyev and said, /He's yelling about the... dog. Something about the dog, but he's speaking too fast./

The American shouted again. But they still showed a frustrating inability to understand him. By now, the American had had enough, if they wouldn't do anything, he would have to. The American yelled something else before he whipped out his M1911 sidearm and opened fire.

The Soviets jumped back in disbelief. The American continued to shout and fire as they scrambled away from him. A bullet slammed into the dog's hip, sending it yelping in pain and skidding towards the outpost entrance. A stray bullet bored its way into Lux's leg and he collapsed where he stood. Surkov dragged him behind a snow bank as Mikhail and Karilyev dove behind one of the snowmobiles. The American stalked after the dog relentlessly, firing, reloading, shouting, and running after it.

There was total chaos in the rec room as the rest of the Soviet crew crowded around the windows, watching the crazed American on his rampage. The strangest part about it was that the American was not going after them, but the dog. Something was wrong. Still, they ran to arm themselves from the intruder.

Surkov and Lux heard the crunch of snow behind them. The American stood there, pistol raised at their heads. He yelled something at them and gestured wildly with the M1911 as his eyes blazed with a grim, wild determination. Surkov jumped up at him, but the American angrily threw him to the side. Lux dove to the ground as the pistol fired. There was a yelp from behind them and the two Russians saw the dog jerk wildly as the American unleashed the entire magazine into it. The American reloaded, emptying a second clip into the motionless dog, nearly reducing it to a pulp.

Completely ignoring the stunned Russians, the American reached into his jacket, but suddenly jerked and fell forward onto the snow as blood splattered onto the snow. Standing behind the American was Colonel Karilyev, who held a smoking Makarov pistol in hand. The American moaned, pulling out a grenade that was swiftly kicked out of his hand. The American reached for the grenade again, but Karilyev kicked the American again in the head. He collapsed, motionless, with his hand wrapped around the grenade.

 **-0-**

 **Several Days Later, Washington DC...**

General Anakin Skywalker sped through the streets of Washington DC towards the White House. He had been summoned by the President, apparently it was an urgent matter. Showing his credentials to the guards, Anakin was let inside. He rushed down towards Command Ops and skidded to a halt, snapping off a hasty salute as he came face to face with POTUS. "Mr. President. General Skywalker reporting."

"At ease, Anakin. It's good to see you again, my boy." Anakin nodded likewise at his commander-in-chief. President Sheev Palpatine sighed, "I regret that this is not a social call and was under better circumstances. Please, follow me."

Anakin followed President Palpatine into the next room where several other military generals were seated. A familiar voice rang out, "Hello there."

Anakin turned and smiled, "General Kenobi. What a surprise."

General Obi-Wan Kenobi smiled, before embracing his old friend, "It's good to see you again, Anakin. I'm afraid there's some trouble brewing with the Russians."

President Palpatine nodded solemnly, "Sadly, it appears so. I recently got this message from Premier Dooku, leader of the USSR. He claims a US Navy helicopter gunship attacked one of their arctic radar bases. He said the helicopter crashed and that both occupants are in custody."

Anakin nodded then shrugged, "What does this have to do with me?"

"The passenger was taken to a military base in Kamchatka. He was identified as a US Army Ranger. We don't have the name, but I believe he was a soldier under your command. The pilot of the UH-1 Huey was another one of yours, Airman Ahsoka Tano of the US Navy."

Anakin's face contorted into confusion, "What? There must be some mistake. Why would Ahsoka attack a Soviet radar base?"

Obi-Wan spoke this time, "We don't know either. All we know is that the two of us dispatched her to fly a squad of Rangers and SEAL Commander Cody to Peary Station near the North Pole to investigate a strange crashed aircraft. We've tried contacting them, but there's been no response. Even stranger, the Canadians at Tuktoyaktuk Station reported a small group of Americans showing up on a snowcat. One of them was Commander Cody, but they said they were the only ones left alive. They claimed that something had killed them all. Yesterday, a Japanese trawler claimed to have found a person, who matched Ahsoka's description. Unfortunately, she escaped, stole a helicopter, and flew back North."

General Plo Koon spoke up, "Even worse, a Soviet special forces unit investigated the Soviet research post because it reportedly went silent. They found it destroyed and Ahsoka was the only survivor. Apparently, she admitted to killing several of the base members because they were 'infected.' Shortly after reporting in, the Soviet special forces unit also went quiet."

Anakin was shocked, "Wait, so they believe Ahsoka killed them. Do we know where she is?"

President Palpatine sighed, "We don't know. Dooku wouldn't say. He's claiming that this is a deliberate attack by America and is threatening nuclear war. I declared Airman Tano to be a rogue soldier not under our orders a few hours ago. She is to be considered a hostile and engaged on sight."

Anakin's head snapped towards the President, "What! Mr. President, with all due respect, what proof do you have! We don't know her side of the story or if this is all a Soviet plot! We can't just cast her to the wind!"

Palpatine sighed, "General Skywalker, you must realize I have no choice. Dooku and his attack dog General Grevious have always been volatile towards us, and they were just waiting for an opportunity to attack us. They would have used nuclear weapons against us if I didn't do this. The Japanese are stepping in, they want both sides to come together and hear the survivors' stories. A joint US-Soviet-Japanese special forces team is currently trying to track down Airman Tano. Seeing how you and General Kenobi authorized the mission to Peary Station, I'm sending you two to rendezvous with the Soviets in Hokkaido. You will leave as soon as possible."

Anakin, still fuming, nodded at Obi-Wan and saluted, "Yes, Mr. President."

 **And so it begins, I hope you enjoyed it.**


	2. Chapter 1: A Crash in the Arctic

**Hello there! Sorry it's taken me a bit to get this up, but I've been at the National Order of the Arrow Conference in Indiana (Yes, I'm a Boy Scout and proud of it) for a week and writing has not been the easiest thing lately. (I'm doing this all via phone, as I don't have a computer of my own yet)** **I also haven't written any of this out yet, so updates will come as I finish them.**

 **So this chapter will jump back in time from the Prologue. I hope you all enjoy it!**

 **Also, keep an eye out for a movie reference in the beginning of this chapter. The first person who guesses it correctly will receive a free Hammerhead corvette. This is 100% not a scam.**

 **SirLoozElite -** Thank you! That dog's been shot to a pulp, but is it really dead? As for who lives and dies, I guess we'll see. The people who were alive in the Epilogue of my original will definitely live. But some beloved characters definitely will die. I do hope you enjoy this chapter!

 **Achilles453 -** I'm glad you liked the similarity to the original, but that is the extent of similarities between this and JC's The Thing (for the most part). Thank you for your continuing support and I hope you love this one as well.

 **teresa. spanics -** Well, if you we're stationed up in the Arctic (or down in the Antarctic) and a helicopter came out of nowhere chasing a dog, I hope it would be interesting. Thank you so much for your kind words!

 **Eielson Air Force Base, Fairbanks, Alaska; February 6, 1970, 2100 Hours**

Army Ranger Captain Rex walked down the corridor leading to the Control Center of Eielson AFB with his second-in-command Master Sergeant Fives. Fives snorted, "So you're saying you don't know why we've been called up all the way to Fairbanks?"

Rex sighed, "Something about a strange plane crash up near the North Pole. General Skywalker thinks it's important."

Fives snorted again, "Look, I trust the General's judgement, but why the hell couldn't he use the regular army? Why pull us out of Vietnam? What does he need us for?"

Rex was about to respond when a voice called out behind them, "Because some damn fool accused you of being one of the best."

A smile broke out on Rex's face as he recognized the voice. Rex turned to find US Navy SEAL Commander Cody smirking as he walked towards them.

"Cody! You son of a bitch."

Rex and Cody clasped arms, straining against each other in a mid-air arm wrestling contest. Rex slowly pushed Cody's arm over and he smirked, "What's the matter? Jungle take too much out of you?" Rex continued pushing Cody's arm over, and the strain began to show on the SEAL's face. "Had enough?"

Cody breathed heavily, straining against the Ranger's strength, "Take it easy on yourself Rex." At this, Rex simply smirked and pushed even harder. Cody finally gave, "Okay! Okay. It's damn good to see you again, Rex."

Rex laughed, "You never did know when to quit Cody. I'm glad to see you."

Fives chuckled from the background, "Hate to break up this reunion, but I'm still waiting to know why we've been called here."

Cody gestured at a door at the end of the room, "The Generals are waiting for us."

The three soldiers walked into an office to see General Anakin Skywalker conversing with General Obi-Wan Kenobi and another, older man. Anakin noticed them and turned to face Rex, "Ah, Rex you're here."

Fives interrupted, "Forgive me sir, but why have we been flown up to this frozen wasteland in the middle of winter."

Rex was aghast at Fives' outburst. He had always been outspoken, but this was to a General for God's sake! "Fives!"

To Rex and Cody's surprise, General Skywalker burst out laughing while Kenobi rolled his eyes, "It's okay, Rex. I like your Sergeant." He indicated the other, older man, "You know me and General Kenobi, but I'd like to introduce you to a scientist who'll be accompanying you on this trip. Dr. Nuvo Vindi."

Vindi nodded and General Kenobi spoke up, "Now to answer your question, we have a radar station up at Peary Station. Peary Station is located above the Arctic Circle, and it provides weather information and radar data for our Arctic operations. It's absolutely vital as a part of our early warning system against Soviet attacks via the Arctic."

Dr. Vindi cut it, "Approximately 36 hours ago, Commander Fox, the station commander, reported a strange aircraft crash near the base. The crash has had some... strange effects. It's been fouling up communications, instruments, and our radar."

General Skywalker nodded, "Rex, I want you and Commander Cody to take your team and Dr. Vindi to investigate, recover anything useful, and neutralize any threats this crash may contain."

"Yes sir. If I may ask, is it the Soviets?"

Skywalker shrugged, "We don't know. Fox thinks so, but a few of his crew think otherwise. They say the crash is more akin to a meteor than a Soviet aircraft. I personally think it's some type of experimental airplane."

Rex smiled and nodded, "Which is why you wanted Army Rangers and Navy SEALs to investigate. Got it."

The General smiled, "Yes, Rex. Now follow me, I'll introduce you to the pilot who'll be flying you up there."

The five soldiers and officers, Dr. Vindi stayed behind, walked into a hangar. Next to several Air Force F-102 Delta Daggers and the newer F-4 Phantoms sat a lone UH-1 Huey with the word 'NAVY' stenciled on the side. A pair of flight boots jutted out from underneath it and there was the sound of tools being used. The General squatted down beside them and said, "Everything okay, Snips?"

A young, higher-pitched voice called out from underneath, "Besides the fact that you didn't tell me that I'd need to modify this thing for cold weather, everything's perfect Skyguy. I swear this is the last time I fly you up to the Arctic."

He laughed, "Would you prefer I reassign you?"

"No, because you'd die when you crash and destroy your chopper and/or plane."

The General groaned, "I've told you a million times Snips, it's not my fault they keep crashing."

There was a chuckle from beneath the helicopter, "Yeah, keep telling yourself that Skyguy."

General Skywalker put a hand over his face, "Come on out, Snips. That's an order. I've got a few people I'd like to introduce you to."

"Ugh... Fine!" The pilot, whom General Skywalker had addressed as 'Snips', slid out from underneath and jumped to their feet. Rex was not expecting this. General Skywalker's pilot was a young woman, probably around the age of 21. She had tanned, sienna skin; bright, crystal blue eyes; and shoulder length blond hair with blue highlights pulled into a pony tail. She was beautiful, but also surprisingly young. _'Her and the General must be close for a NCO to talk back to such a senior officer.'_

General Skywalker turned to Rex, "Snips, these are a couple of the soldiers you'll be flying up to Peary Station."

The pilot glared at the General, then smiled at Rex and extended her hand, "Airman Ahsoka Tano, US Navy. It's nice to meet you... uh..."

Rex smiled, "Rex. Captain. 501st Army Ranger Battalion. The Master Sergeant is my second-in-command, we call him Fives," he motioned to Fives who nodded.

Cody looked at Rex with mock hurt, "What Rex? No introduction for me."

Rex was about to when Fives deadpanned, "That's the son of a bitch who's tagging along with our team."

Ahsoka and Anakin burst out laughing, and Rex chuckled at Cody's mortified expression. Even General Kenobi cracked a smile but did nothing else.

Cody grumbled, "All kidding aside, I'm Commander Cody, US Navy SEALs. 212th Special Forces Group."

Ahsoka calmed down and shook their hands. "So I'm assuming Skyguy over here is sending us on some crazed suicide mission."

Anakin had a look of mock shock on his face, but quickly recovered, "Just, not now, Snips. Please? You're flying Rex's team up to Peary Station near the North Pole so they can investigate a believed Soviet aircraft crash."

Ahsoka's eyes widened slightly, "Oh. Suddenly, your modifications make much more sense."

 **-0-**

Twelve hours later, the helicopter flew up North across the frozen tundra of northern Alaska. In the body compartment, Cody and Rex's team sat. Rex's team included Fives, Staff Sergeant Echo, Corporal Hardcase, Corporal Hevy, Private Cutup, and Private Kix.

Fives leaned over to Hevy, who was in the middle of a card game, and whispered, "That guy gives me the creeps." He motioned with his head at Dr. Vindi.

Hevy nodded, "I know what you mean. Something feels... off about him."

Meanwhile, Ahsoka flew the UH-1 Huey with steady hands, safely negotiating the turbulent winds of the arctic. She heard someone climb into the copilot seat and she glanced over to see Captain Rex. Rex asked, "You mind if I sit up here?"

Ahsoka smiled, "Not at all. Just don't crash the thing." Her face became confused for a second, "Why sit up here though? Why not with your squad?"

Rex sighed, "I know practically everything about them, but nect to nothing about you. I hope you don't mind, but I prefer to know the people I interact with. Would you mind if I asked a few questions?"

Ahsoka laughed, "I get the feeling. Sure, I'll answer a few questions."

"How did you join the Navy? No offense, but... you don't see many women serving in the military."

Ahsoka glanced at him sideways, "I'm an orphan. My parents died when I was just a child, car crash, I barely knew them."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know."

Ahsoka chuckled, "Of course not. How could you have? I was taken in by a kind man named Vartan, but I was eventually found by Anakin."

"You mean General Skywalker?"

"I do, he found me when I was 14. I didn't want to leave, but Vartan felt that a General and his senator wife could give me a much better life than he could. Anakin and his wife Senator Amidala treated me like a younger sister. They taught me everything they knew, and I found I was a natural at flying. When I became 18, I asked Anakin if I could join the military. He pulled some strings and got me assigned as a helicopter pilot under Admiral Yularen.

"I'm not allowed to fly into combat situations, cause I'm a woman. However, now I'm kind of Anakin's personal pilot."

Rex nodded, "Don't you miss Vartan?"

"Of course I do! I stayed in touch with him, but I haven't heard from him in a while. I do miss him a lot. He was always so very kind to us."

"Us?"

Ahsoka nodded as a bit of turbulence rocked the chopper, "Yes, us. Vartan had also taken in two sisters as well as me. I was close with both of them, but extremely close with the older one. I don't know, but we were kind of... never mind."

Rex nodded slowly and leaned back in the seat, "I see. Hey. When the General first introduced us to you, he called you 'Snips'. Where did that come from?"

Ahsoka laughed, "Something about me being snarky and incredibly snippy most of the time. It's totally 100% true."

Rex had to laugh at that, he liked this pilot. And she _was_ nice to look at as well. He turned his head to see her asking him something that he didn't catch. "I'm sorry? What did you say?"

Ahsoka snorted, "How did you become a Ranger if you can't hear a simple question?" She laughed aloud, "I was asking about your crew."

"Well, you met Fives earlier. He can be a bit of a loose cannon at times, but he's loyal to a fault and one of the best damn soldiers I've fought with. Then there's Echo. Staff Sergeant Echo and Fives are practically joined at the hip, yet are complete opposites at the same time. Echo is by the book on everything while Fives loves to bend the rules.

"Private Kix is the best medic you'll find in the Army. I owe him my life multiple times. Private Cutup is quiet, but a crack shot. Corporal Hardcase is the exact opposite of Cutup. Hardheaded, even more of a loose cannon than Fives. We think he got caught in twelve too many explosions during Vietnam. I've had to pull him out of a local jail at least five times. We only keep him because he's the only one I know who can wield a M60 at close range like Cutup does a rifle at long range. The last one is Corporal Hevy. Hevy's a machine gunner like Hardcase, but he's also an incredibly loyal companion and an expert technician."

Ahsoka nodded, "So why send Rangers and a SEAL to the Arctic just to look at an air crash site?"

Rex sighed and put his hand in his head, "I know I shouldn't be telling you this, but about two days ago, a mysterious aircraft crashed near Peary Station. It's been fouling communications and messing up instruments. Commander Fox believes it's some new experimental weapon if the Soviet's and that they're trying to mess up our missile defense systems. However, others think this is something different. We'll know more upon landing."

Ahsoka nodded, "Alright." She smiled sweetly at him, "Thanks for not keeping me in the dark."

Rex returned the smile, "Not a problem."

 **-0-**

A few hours later, Ahsoka's voice came over the helicopter's speaker, "Alright boys. I have the base in sight. We'll be on the ground in about fifteen minutes. Hold on to something because there appears to be some turbulence."

Fives grunted, "Well, it's about damn time. I'm more bored than I've ever been watching nothing but snow and ice."

Echo looked up, "Stop griping Fives. I like the inaction. It gives me some time to check up on the reg manuals."

"Echo," Fives facepalmed, "What is wrong with you?"

Rex stepped out from the cockpit, and Hevy looked up from the card game he was playing with Cutup, Kix, and Hardcase. Vindi kept staring out the window like he had the entire flight. Rex sat down next to Cody, who asked, "What took you so long up there?"

"Conversation."

Cody smirked, "Oh... what were you talking about?"

Rex shrugged, "She's an orphan who was eventually found by General Skywalker and became his protege of sorts."

Up in the cockpit, Ahsoka circled the station. It was your standard radar dish, flanked by a couple black, snowcovered buildings. The helipad was behind the dish, next to a building that looked like a kennel.

She radioed in, "Peary Station, this is US Navy Helicopter Three-Zero-Niner. On final approach. Ready for landing on Helipad 1. Over."

The response came back, "Roger Navy Three-Zero-Niner. Cleared for landing. Be aware of crosswinds. See you soon. Out."

Ahsoka eased the controls as the helicopter was bumped around by the wind. The rotors kicked up clouds of snow as she neared the ground. A couple parka-clad crewmen scurried about as she felt the skids hit the ground.

The helicopter rotors died with a whine as they stopped rotating. With a smirk on her face, Ahsoka clicked the intercom. "Everyone, this is your pilot speaking. We have safely arrived at Peary Station at the North Pole. When it comes to air travel to the Arctic, we know you had no choice, but thanks anyway for choosing Skyguy's Suicidal Airline."

Rex chuckled in the cabin, and Fives smirked at him, "That pilot's really something. Eh, boss?"

"You got that right, Fives. Now let's go."

Rex's group filed out and were met by Commander Fox. Rex, Cody, and Fox saluted each other before Fox smiled. "It's good to see you guys."

Rex nodded, "Always a pleasure Fox."

Fox gestured with his hand, "Come on. Let's get you out of the cold. I'll brief you on the situation here."

They all walked into the station, placing their weapons and gear up against the wall of the common room and hung their parkas on a row of hooks on the wall. Rex and Cody followed Fox into his office while the others grabbed some coffee and ate.

Fox gestured to two seats in front of his desk and said, "I'll get right to the point. Feel free to take a seat." He turned to the wall as Rex and Cody sat down, "Two days ago, an aircraft of unknown origin and model crashed here." He indicated a red pin on a map. "I believe it's the Soviets, but we don't have the manpower to investigate it. All we have present here besides me are two soldiers who are also technicians for the radar dish and our vehicles, a radioman from the Navy who also monitors radar scopes, a scientist, a nurse, and a secretary. We needed you to help investigate the wreck."

Rex nodded, "General Skywalker said something about it behaving abnormally."

Fox nodded and pressed the intercom on his desk, "Ms. Larte, can you please get Vartan up here."

A female voice responded, "Right away, Commander Fox."

Meanwhile, Ahsoka extended the wheels on the bottom of the skids before jumping out. Two parka-clad Privates named Boil and Waxer helped her push the chopper into the small vehicle hanger next to the other Huey stationed at Peary Station. Boil opened the door to the underground walkway that connected the hangar to the rest of the base and he and Waxer went back outside.

Stepping inside the base, Ahsoka shrugged off her snow covered flight jacket and sat down with a cup of coffee. She was content to just fall asleep when she heard something, no... _someone_ familiar. "Ahsoka? Is that you?"

She turned to see a young woman standing behind her. She had long, braided black hair, and had skin a little bit darker than Rex's. The woman smiled brightly, "It is you!"

Ahsoka also smiled brightly as the woman ran towards her, "Kaedan!"

 **So, y'all have met part of the American cast. Who do you think survives and who do you think will be the one with Ahsoka in the helicopter chase?**


	3. Chapter 2: Old Friends & Suspicions

**Just a heads up, the Thing won't show up for a couple more chapters, but once it does get loose, choas will ensue!**

 **As always, feel free to leave a comment/review and I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

 **Achilles453** Yep, Predator is one of my favorite films of all time, so expect to see more from it. I hope you like this next chapter too!

 **Jayfeathers Friend -** I know, there aren't really any good Predator/Star Wars crossovers. This is primarily a The Thing crossover, but keep an eye out for more Predator later on.

 **Peary Station, Arctic, February 7, 1970, 1300 Hours**

Ahsoka stared in shock at the woman before smiling brightly, "Kaedan! What are you doing here?"

Kaedan Larte chuckled, "Well, Vartan's the science officer here and he offered me a job as an assistant/secretary. The better question is..." she smirked, "What are you doing here? Last I heard, you were the personal pilot for some hot shot general."

Ahsoka laughed, "Well, your 'hot shot general' selected me to fly a bunch of special forces guys up here. By the way, how is Vartan?"

Kaedan smiled, "Why don't you ask him?"

A deeper, masculine voice spoke from behind her, "I must need glasses because I swear that's Ahsoka."

Ahsoka smirked, "Long time no see, eh old man? Still bald I see."

Vartan smiled, "You sure haven't changed."

Kaedan turned to Vartan, "That reminds me. Commander Fox wanted to see you, Vartan."

Vartan nodded, "Thank you, Kaedan." He turned back to Ahsoka, "Well, it is a pleasure to see you again, my dear. We must catch up sometime soon."

Ahsoka hugged him, "I'll be looking forward to it."

As Vartan walked away, Kaedan grabbed Ahsoka's arm. "Come on. I'll give you the tour."

Kaedan indicated the room they were currently in. "This is the common room/mess hall. Most of us come in here to eat, get some coffee, or just relax." She pulled her friend through a door, "This is the kitchen if you need to cook anything."

The two women walked out the kitchen into a hallway. Kaedan pulled her along before knocking on a door. A large man opened it and smiled, "Hello Kaedan."

"Hi Selda." Kaedan motioned to Ahsoka, "This is my friend Ahsoka. She flew the research team in."

Selda smiled and extended his hand, "I see you're in the Navy as well. Petty Officer First Class. Name's Selda. I'm the radio/radarman."

Ahsoka shook Selda's hand, "Airman Ahsoka Tano. I'm a helicopter pilot."

Kaedan smirked at Ahsoka, "Selda's also our unofficial bartender. He's quite the renaissance man."

Ahsoka chuckled, "I look forward to a few drinks. What can you tell me about the crash?"

Selda scratched his chin, "Well, it fouls up communications and radar in set intervals. Kind of like a beacon. You were lucky that you flew in on a clear pattern. I don't like it, and I hope you're special forces can put an end to it."

Kaedan nodded, "Amen to that." She turned back to Ahsoka, "Come on. Thanks Selda."

Selda smiled and waved after them, "See you girls later."

Selda closed the door as Kaedan pushed open a door across from the radio room, "Here's the supply room. Everything we have is right in here."

She closed the door and they continued down the main corridor until it branched into an intersection. Kaedan pointed to the left, "This is the women's dorm. The guys live on the other side. There's usually only two of us, so we only really use a room with two beds. And with the arrival of all the special forces guys, you won't be able to have a room to yourself."

Ahsoka shrugged, "I can sleep on a couch."

"Just like old times?"

"You got that right." Ahsoka said with a chuckle.

Kaedan laughed, "There's a couch in our room, although I don't mind splitting a bed."

Ahsoka felt her cheeks blush, "Uh... I'm fine with the couch."

Kaedan smirked, "Was that hesitation I heard in that sentence?"

Ahsoka facepalmed, "I hate you."

Kaedan laughed even harder, "Feel free to move in anytime you want." She jerked her thumb down the corridor to the end. "That's Fox's office. Come on."

They walked down to the junction, where the corridor branched off in two opposite directions, making a T against Fox's office. Kaedan pointed to the right, "The greenhouse is down in that direction." She then pointed to the left, "Vartan's lab and the medbay are in that direction, as is my secretary office."

Ahsoka smiled and placed a hand on Kaedan's shoulder, "Thanks for showing me around."

"Anytime. Come on, let's get some coffee." The two women walked back towards the mess hall.

A few minutes later, both Kaedan and Ahsoka were sitting in the common room with two cups of coffee. Ahsoka spoke first, "It's been a while since we were able to just sit and talk. How's Miara been?"

Kaedan sighed, "Miara's doing alright. She's had a dream of flying and is trying to become a pilot. Last I heard, she went into the military a few months ago. The last letter I got from her said that she was flying cargo via helicopters."

Ahsoka nodded, "The non-combat missions only rule for women kind of suck don't they?"

Kaedan asked, "Miara never exactly told me how she got in. How'd you get in the Navy?"

Ahsoka smirked, "Well, the hotshot general who I went away with is married to a Senator. They pulled a few strings and got me an assignment under an Admiral named Yularen. As for Miara, Anakin heard that a woman named Miara Larte was trying to become a pilot. He recognized the last name and asked me if she was indeed the Miara who I had grown up with."

Kaedan's eyes had widened during Ahsoka's story, "So Miara has you and Anakin to thank." Ahsoka nodded and Kaedan's response was a simple, "Wow."

Ahsoka shrugged, "What are you up to?"

Kaedan smiled, "I'm trying to go into nursing and medicine. Vartan's been helping me as the science officer and I assist the medic here on station."

Ahsoka scratched her chin for a moment, "I don't think I've met him. I've run into you, Vartan, Selda, two soldiers named Boil and Waxer, and I know Commander Fox is here. So who is the medical officer?"

Kaedan smirked, "Look behind you."

Ahsoka's eyes widened and she shook her head laughing, "Not again." She turned around as Kaedan smirked at her.

Ahsoka's eyes widened even further in surprise as she saw who the medical officer was. "Impossible."

 **-0-**

Meanwhile, the entirety of the special forces group, Dr. Vindi, and Vartan stood in Commander Fox's office. Fox addressed the group, "So that's the plan. We'll fly up in two helicopters, inspect the crash site, and recover what we can. I'll fly one chopper, while Airman Tano will fly the other.

"The Ranger squad will set up a perimeter around the crash. Cody and I will escort Dr. Vindi and Vartan in the airplane so they can recover what they can. Any questions?"

Rex's brow furled. Why was Cody going with the scientists? That's odd.

Hevy spoke up, "What about Soviets? What do we do if we encounter survivors?"

Cody responded, "Capture the Soviets if possible. Kill them if they fire at you."

Hevy nodded and Fox said, "Alright then. Get some food, we leave in a couple hours."

Rex was about to leave when Vartan called out, "Captain Rex. Can I speak to you for a moment?" Rex raised an eyebrow, but he could see a concealed urgency in Vartan's eyes. Vartan turned to Fox, "Commander, when you see Kaedan, tell her that I'd like to see her in my lab." Fox nodded as Rex followed Vartan out the door and into his lab.

Rex crossed his arms and was about to speak when Vartan said, "Close the door." Rex raised an eyebrow, but did as he was asked.

"Why the secrecy?" Rex asked.

Vartan sighed nervously, "Captain, I need someone I can trust. Commander Fox has been acting suspicious lately, and I'm getting the same feeling from the SEAL and that doctor you flew in."

"Suspicious? How?"

"I think they're hiding something about the crash. For one, Selda said the aircraft was going way to fast for it to be a conventional airplane. And it's trajectory was not one of any plane I've seen."

Rex shrugged, "It could be experimental. Or a meteor."

Vartan shook his head furiously, "No! It's not! Fox doesn't believe me, but I know it's not. He confiscated the radar data and told us not to talk about it after you leave. He said it was to protect us from Soviet agents, but it's clear to me that there's something... unworldly going on."

 **-0-**

Kaedan frowned as Ahsoka's eyes widened in shock at the sight of the medic. It was clear they knew each other, but how? Kaedan had never seen her until they met here at Peary Station.

Ahsoka stuttered, "Barris? Oh this... this is just insane."

Barris Offee looked over and her eyes widened in recognition of the Navy pilot. "Ahsoka?" Barris smiled and said, "I'm going to assume you're here because your General sent you up with those Rangers, right?"

Ahsoka dropped her head into her hands, "How many people from my past am I going to run into here?"

Kaedan asked, "And how do you two know each other?"

Barris chuckled, "Ahsoka made the mistake of allowing General Skywalker to fly her helicopter and it... ended badly."

Ahsoka sighed, "When I was 19, he recklessly flew into a flock of birds and we crashed. I ended up with a few broken bones and a concussion while Anakin suffered a few severe burns. Barris was 23 then, and was one of the medics who patched me up. We became good friends and stayed in contact."

At that moment, Commander Fox walked in, "Ms. Larte, Vartan wants to see you in his lab. Airman Tano, we leave for the crash site in one hour."

Ahsoka saluted, "Yes sir." Fox nodded and walked away.

Kaedan met her eye, "Come on. I'm sure Vartan wouldn't mind." Ahsoka's eyes widened as Kaedan practiced dragged her out the door.

Barris laughed as she watched Kaedan drag Ahsoka out the door. "Catch up with you later. Alright, Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka yelled from the hallway, "Yeah, sure!"

Barris shook her head laughing, this would be a long week.

 **-0-**

Vartan and Rex jumped as they heard the knock on the door. Vartan called out, "Who is it?"

The response was, "It's Kaedan. Fox said you wanted to see me?"

Vartan unlocked the door and allowed her in. He and Rex were surprised when Ahsoka walked through the door as well. "Ahsoka? What are you doing here?" Vartan asked.

Ahsoka shrugged, "Kaedan dragged me here."

Rex and Vartan eyed her suspiciously, and Vartan spoke, "It pains me greatly to ask you, but can we trust you to keep this secret?"

Ahsoka frowned, her brobrow furrowed in confusion. "What's going on? What are you talking about?"

Vartan looked over to Kaedan, "Kaedan, can you grab the info from your drawer please?"

Kaedan nodded and left and Ahsoka glanced between the two men in suspicion, "What's going on you two?"

Rex spoke carefully, "Before we begin, did the General tell you anything about this mission? Anything at all that he didn't tell us?"

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes, "Why?"

Vartan stepped in between them, "Kaedan and I have had suspicions about the crash just east of here. Commander Fox is acting strangely, confiscating all information on the crash. We're getting the same feeling from the SEAL and the doctor you flew in. We have to know if you know anything about them."

Ahsoka shrugged, "I only met Cody at Eielson AFB in Anchorage and I didn't know anything about a doctor."

"What do you mean you don't know anything about Dr. Vindi?" Rex snapped.

"I was in the cockpit firing things up when your group climbed aboard. Then you guys all jumped out and into the station here before I got out. I've never seen him!" Ahsoka shot back. She glared at both of the men before her. "Am I being interrogated or something?"

"No, but I don't know if you know something you're not telling us."

Ahsoka yelled back, "Well, you're obviously hiding something from me! All I was told was to fly your squad up here. I don't know anything beyond that."

Rex sighed, "Look, I trust General Skywalker, but only because I've worked under him for years and he never hid anything from me. I don't have the experience of working with you."

Ahsoka flung her arms open, "So you don't trust me? What do you want me to do about that?"

Rex responded gruffly, "Nothing. The question is, what are you going to do about it?"

Ahsoka mulled it over in her head before nodding to herself. She then took a step forward and swung her fist at his face.

Rex was caught unprepared and staggered back from the blow.

The door opened, "What the hell?"

Everyone turned to see Kaedan standing in the doorway with a box under her arm.

Rex recovered, looked at Ahsoka with a grin, and laughed. "Where'd you learn to punch like that?"

Ahsoka chuckled, "Daily fights and spars with General Skywalker."

"Just remember, in my book, experience outranks everything."

Ahsoka crossed her arms and smirked, "So if experience outranks everything, then I better start getting some."

"Ahem." Everyone turned to Vartan, who had his arms crossed, "Now that we've all settled down, can we get on with why we're here?"

Everyone nodded and Vartan turned to Kaedan, "You got the info?"

Kaedan rolled her eyes, "Yes, dad. I have it." Ahsoka chuckled as Kaedan handed it over.

Ahsoka spoke up, "Before you begin, do you mind telling me where we're going?"

Vartan nodded and pointed to a map that Kaedan had brought, "Forty-eight miles northwest."

Ahsoka nodded slowly before shaking her head, "Wait. That's disputed territory. It could spark a war if we engage out there."

Vartan sighed, "I know. So does Fox and whoever he's reporting to."

Rex cut it, "The orders said that an airplane had crashed. Is that what we're looking for?"

Kaedan sighed, "We don't know Captain."

Rex crossed his arms, "I'd like to know what I'm looking for."

Vartan looked at him sternly, "So would I, Captain. So would I."

Rex sighed, "Well, just give me the information you have."

Vartan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, "I'm sorry they can't be more specific. Commander Fox confiscated everything, but luckly I had made some copies. Kaedan, can you please read my notes."

Kaedan opened Vartan's notebook and began to read. "February 5, 1970. 6:20 AM: Sound detectors recorded explosion northwest of here. 6:24 AM: Magnetic dials revealed twelve point three deflection. Such deflection is only possible if a disturbing force equivalent to twenty thousand tons of steel or iron ore had impacted within a 50 mile radius."

Rex shrugged, "Sounds like a meteor, doesn't it."

Vartan responsed, "Yes, a lot like one. Except for our photographic evidence. Boil acts as our photographer and maintains the teloscopic camera. They were running during that time. Here is the film taken between 6:13 and 6:17. Kaedan, let Captain Rex take a look please."

Kaedan switched on a light in a moviola box and ran a strip of film slowly through it. Rex and Ahsoka took turns looking into the box.

Vartan spoke as they observed the film. "You will note the small dot low on the film. It is moving west to east. At 6:15 AM, the dot moves upward. At 6:16, it drops to the Earth and vanishes. A meteor might move almost horizontally from west to east, but never upward. If that travelling object caused the explosion we picked up, it is in the ice 48 miles from here. The sound reached us about four minutes after it disappeared. That gives us the approximate distance from here of about 48-50 miles east."

Ahsoka hummed a thought in her head before saying, "Twenty thousand tons of steel is an awful lot of metal for an airplane."

Vartan nodded, "It is for the type of airplane we _know_ , Ahsoka."

The unsettling statement hung in the air. Suddenly, the room seemed heavier.

Rex glanced up at the clock, "Come on. We should get going."

Rex left the room to get his equipment, followed by Vartan. Ahsoka was about to leave when a hand grabbed her shoulder. She turned to see Kaedan, who just said, "Please just be careful, Ahsoka. We don't know what we're up against and I don't want you to get hurt."

Ahsoka smiled softly, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." She turned away and walked down the hallway, but stopped halfway and looked over her shoulder with a smirk. "You want me to get you a souvenir?"

Kaedan laughed and shook her head. "No thanks. I'm fine." Ahsoka laughed as well as she entered the door to the common room. Kaedan shook her head again, at least Ahsoka was the same as she always had been. Kaedan just hoped that whatever happened, she would be the same Ahsoka afterwards.

 **Already, some of them are holding secrets. And don't worry. Some action coming up in the next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 3: Soviet Massacre

**I feel like I need to make a correction as to the action that happens in this chapter. It will be "offscreen" action that the Ranger team notices.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Again, feel free to leave a comment/review.**

 **Achilles453 -** I'm glad you liked the foreshadowing of the storm! The storm won't arrive for a couple chapters, but it will definitely come.

 **Jayfeathers Friend -** I know the feeling, there need to be more Star Wars/Predator stories. BTW, I read your StarPred story and I love it! (Please update it soon) As for what the government wants, who knows? That'll be revealed in a future chapter.

 **SirLoozeElite -** I'm glad you liked the last chapter, even if it was only descriptive. I honestly prefer to write action because it comes easier to me; but yeah, not everything can be pure action. I get the feeling that some people will be mad with who gets killed off, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. As for the meteor, it's obviously just a very big space rock, right?

 **Northwest** **of Peary Station, February 7, 1970, 1445 Hours**

The two Huey's roared across the Arctic tundra as they headed northwest towards the crash site. Ahsoka's chopper led the way with the Ranger squad, followed up by Fox, Cody, Vindi, and Vartan.

Rex sat up in the cockpit with Ahsoka. The atmosphere was heavy. His eyes continuously scanned the snow and ice, watching for any Soviets on the ground. Ahsoka watched the skies for Soviet aircraft. Luckly, they hadn't seen anything so far. They didn't speak, but both knew they were venturing into the unknown.

Unaware of the potential danger, Fives and Cutup manned the two M60 machine guns slung alongside the chopper. The rest of the group checked their weapons in the body of the craft, or slept in Echo's case. Hardcase shouted, "How the hell is he able to sleep on these things?"

Hevy laughed, "He's not as hyper as you are."

"Yeah! But it's still a damn chopper!"

Fives yelled from his position on the door, "It's better than spending the night in jail."

Hardcase snorted, "I'm close to throwing you outta that door."

Kix glanced up from his medical equipment, "We're enroute to a potential firefight and you're already trying to get yourself killed. I should've locked both of you in the storage room back at Peary."

Hevy laughed, giving Kix a pat on the back. Fives shook his head and grinned out at the snow. Cutup glanced over his shoulder from the other door and said, "You'll never win against the rest of us Hardcase."

Hardcase grumbled and the rest of the group laughed heartily.

 **-0-**

Up in the cockpit, Ahsoka spoke quietly, trying to break the gravity of the situation. "What do you think?"

"About Vartan's suspicions?" Rex glanced at her.

"Yeah."

Rex sighed, "I don't know. Vartan's information is compelling, but 20,000 tons? The largest Soviet bomber I've heard of isn't anywhere close to that."

Ahsoka glanced at the instruments on the dashboard. "Shit. Compass is going haywire again."

Rex nodded, "How are you staying on course then?"

Ahsoka pointed out towards a towering peak on the ice sheet. "That mountain is more or less northwest of Peary. And the compass comes back online every now and then."

Rex nodded, and a few minutes later Ahsoka sighed, "We've crossed over into international territory."

"We should be fine as long as we don't come across any Soviets."

Ahsoka sighed, "I know. Soviet airspace is more than 75 miles away to the West." She frowned as something crossed her vision. "Did you see that?"

Rex shook his head, "No. What'd you see?"

Ahsoka scanned the sky, "Now that my instruments are working, the crash site is just about a few minutes west of us. I thought I saw a ripple or something a few miles past it. Flying towards the ground." She scoffed, "Probably nothing. I guess I'm just a little on edge."

Rex nodded, "Alright. I'm going to head back to the cabin."

"Have fun."

A few minutes later, Ahsoka called out over the radio, "LZ coming up in 30 seconds. Stand by on rappel lines."

Rex gave a hand signal to Hevy, who nodded and hit Hardcase on the shoulder. Rex yelled over the rotors, "Someone wake up Echo!"

Hardcase and Hevy picked up a pair of heavy canvas bags, each filled with rope. From the open doors of the chopper, two ropes tumbled to the snow below as the chopper flaired and hovered over the LZ

A blue light in the cabin turned to green. Rex nodded and the rappelling devices snapped into place. The gloved hands and combat boots of Hardcase and Hevy got into position. Rex gave another signal and they leaped out the door. Fives and Echo followed, themselves followed by Kix and Cutup. Rex yelled over the wind, "Head back to the hold point. We'll radio when area is secured."

Ahsoka's hand appeared in the door to the cockpit, giving a thumbs up. Rex leaped out the door and the chopper flew away, back to the holding point several miles back. Fox's chopper would be there as well, waiting for the all-clear.

Rex hit the ground and faced his squad spread out in a perimeter. He unslung his M16 rifle and brought it to his shoulder. Fives signaled him from a nearby ridge of snow and ice, waving for him to come up.

Rex signaled the rest of his squad to meet him and Fives on the ridge, and began running up to his second-in-command. Despite the white camouflage gear they wore, it was smart for them to still crawl the rest of the way.

As he reached the crest of the ridge, Fives handed him a pair of binoculars. "All clear. According to the map, our Soviet aircraft hit the ground just over that ridge."

Rex nodded, then frowned as he heard a distant sound. A faint, rapid popping, almost like popcorn. "Is that gunfire?"

Fives shrugged as the rest of the squad reached them. Hevy voiced the same question. "Are any of you guys hearing gunfire?"

Cutup spoke, "It's too far off in the distance to be Hardcase."

Said soldier mumbled something obscene under his breath. Cutup glanced to the west, towards the Soviet Union. He pointed and quietly said, "Smoke."

Sure enough, a couple miles from the supposed crash site, a thin wisp of smoke rose above a snowy ridge.

Fives looked at Rex, "Well, Captain. Do we check it out?

Rex nodded, "Stay low to the ground and undetected. I don't want to end up in a gunfight in international territory."

The squad moved out and Hevy turned on the portable radio. "Albatross calling Puffin. Albatross calling Puffin. Come in Puffin."

There was some static on the other side, before Fox's voice came in clear. "Albatross, this is Puffin. What is it?"

"Patch in Albatross Nest." Ahsoka's voice confirmed she was listening and Hevy continued, "Possible popcorn heard west of Location Alpha. Dinosaur is leading Albatross to investigate. Stand by for all-clear."

"Roger Albatross, Puffin is standing by. Out."

Back at the hold point, Vartan looked suspiciously at Fox. "What happened?"

Fox called out, "Rex is investigating smoke and possible gunfire west of the crash site. He wants us to stand by until he finds out what it is."

Vartan nodded, glancing at both Vindi and Cody. There was some trepidation in their eyes that only seemed to confirm his suspicions.

Meanwhile, Rex split his group into three. He sent Cutup and Kix up to a vantage point to set up a sniper position. Hardcase and Hevy, the machine gunner and grenadier, were sent to set up fire positions that would cover the last group. Fives and Echo accompanied Rex as he moved towards the smoke.

As suddenly as it started, the sound had stopped. Fives and Echo both looked warily at Rex, but the captain simply motioned them forward. Time dragged on as they approached a small rise and reached the summit, only to be met with a scene of pure carnage.

In the small depression, a Soviet camp burned. Blood coated the ground around multiple mutilated bodies. Several tents were on fire. There were no apparent survivors.

Rex raised a hand to his mouth, knowing that both the other groups were waiting for his signal, and whistled loudly. He signaled them to meet him at his position.

As the squad regrouped, Rex knew they had all seen it as well. Kix had his medkit out already, and Hevy had a look of shock on his face. Even Soviets didn't deserve that fate. Rex looked them all in the eye and said, "Keep your weapons up and ready. The perpetrators might still be here."

Little did Rex know he was right. On the top of a drift above them, someone was watching. There were a few ripples in the air as the cloaked figures stopped walking and began to observe the American commando team. Even with their camouflage gear, the commando's faces still showed up as bright lights in a sea of blue. One of them moved forward, but an arm grabbed them, shaking their head. The being pointed at the decapitated, cloaked forms behind them and then pointed towards their ship. The one who moved forward nodded. They would watch for now.

They watched as the seven Americans moved forward into the camp in a crouch, watching all the shadows and corners. After years of fighting in the jungle of Southeast Asia, close quarters was like a second language to the commandos. Soon, Rex raised a hand and lowered his weapon. "There's no one alive here. Inspect the bodies."

Fives crouched down next to one, which was odd. There were no gunshot wounds, yet the victim had a look of pure terror on his bloodied face. He waved Echo over, who was fluent in Russian, and handed him the dog tags. Echo read off, "Vladimir Isachenkov. KGB."

Kix knelt down next to them and shook his head. "None of the bodies have gunshot wounds, many were slashed or impaled by some kind of spear. This guy has two stab wounds in his gut, they appear to be from a curved knife-like weapon." Kix pointed to another body on the ground and said, "That guy was stabbed by some kind of disk. The poor bastard has his head and spine ripped out. They're nowhere to be found."

Rex waved Kix over to where he was. This body was missing an arm, which lay on the ground a few feet away with the finger wrapped around the trigger of his AK-47. The gun had ran out of ammunition, but the firing pin was still clicking. Rex sighed as Kix inspected the body, "The arm was chopped off, but the skin at the shoulder was... I don't know. He was probably finished off by a single impalement that pierced his heart. Probably by some kind of spear."

Kix looked around, "What the hell happened here?"

"I wish I knew Kix. I wish I knew. The insignia on his shoulder is Spetsnaz Alpha. Better trained than us. The only others up this far north would be Eskimos, unless it's some new animal. Although I don't think eskimos could kill an Alpha Group team."

Suddenly, Hevy's voice echoed out across the ice, "Captain!" Rex turned to see Hevy and Hardcase waving him over. Rex called the rest of the squad to join them as well.

Rex joined Hevy and Hardcase and asked, "What'd you find?"

The two soldiers glanced uneasily at him, "We don't know what to make of it. Take a look."

Rex looked over where Hevy was pointing, and moved inside the tent. His blood ran cold as he saw the inside.

A couple bodies had been skinned and strung up like carcasses of meat in a slaughterhouse. There was a block of ice that had been blown apart. There was a humanoid cavity in it, and something had burst out of it before it ran off into the camp. Unfortunately, the large, deep footprints had been covered up by the wind. Rex sighed, there was no hope in tracking whoever did this.

There was however, one set of non-human tracks. They pointed off in the direction of the crash site.

Rex turned to the six other members of his squad. "Something completely obliterated this camp, and is probably still in the area. These corpses are fresh, probably at most 30 minutes since time of death. We need to get to that crash site before we join these Soviets."

Fives spoke up, "Sir, the leader of this camp was KGB, others are Spetsnaz. I'm guessing they're here for the crash as well."

Echo nodded, "He's right. We should gather whatever intel we can find."

Rex sighed, "Fine, you have five minutes tops. Hevy, I need to call Fox and Cody."

Hevy nodded and handed Rex the portable radio as Fives, Echo, Hardcase, and Cutup ran off to gather whatever intel they could find. "Albatross calling Puffin. This is Dinosaur. Come in Puffin."

Fox could be heard on the other end, "Puffin calling Albatross. Go ahead Dinosaur."

"Found camp a half mile west of Location Alpha. All of Ivan was DoA. Unknown perps."

There was a pause before Fox said, "Roger."

Cody spoke next, "What about any goods?"

"Numbers and Surround Sound have five mikes tops. Psychos believed still in area. I want to be out of here as soon as possible. En route to Location Alpha shortly. Stand by for all-clear. Out."

 **-0-**

 **Moscow, February 8, 1970, 0430 Hours Local Time**

General Grevious was woken up by a knock on the door. As the leader of the USSR's Spetsnaz, Grevious rarely got a night of uninterrupted sleep. An adjudant came up to him with a folder. Grevious snatched it out of his hand and the adjudant ran off. Grevious read the paper and his blood boiled. The leader of the KGB had insisited upon sending Special Forces to escort a KGB officer to some American crash site in international territory.

The folder said that the last radio message had just cut out. The transcript was included.

 _Isachenkov: We're being slaughtered up here!_

 _Moscow: Americans?_

 _Isachenkov: No... it's not the Americans! It's some new creature_ _! An alien!_

 _Moscow: An alien creature_ _? Describe it._

 _Isachenkov: Humanoid, found it in the crash, it broke out, using stealth against us... Shit! It's coming at me now._

 _*Gunfire*_

 _Moscow: Isachenkov_?

 _*Animalistic screech* *Isachenkov screaming*_

 _Moscow: Isachenkov!_

 _*Distant gunfire and yelling*_

 _Disconnect_.

 **Well, now there are several dead Soviets thrown into the mix aren't there? A bit of a shorter chapter, but it raises a few questions: Who killed them? Why?** **What does the crash have to do with this?**

 **I'd be more than happy to hear your thoughts.**

 **Next Chapter: The Crash Site is Investigated**


	5. Chapter 4: The Spaceship

**Has it seriously been this long since I last updated? I'm sorry guys but school's started back up for me and I had to rewrite this chapter multiple times to get it to my liking (and hopefully yours as well).**

 **And yes, I changed my username again back to my original one of SWGoji2001**

 **SirLoozElite -** I'm happy you enjoyed the horror element in the last chapter, and I'm trying to build it even more here. I will say right now that the Thing did not cause the destruction at the Soviet camp, the Thing first shows up here in this chapter. Now if they leave and let Grevious handle it, the story would be a lot shorter and I'd have to redo the whole Prologue. Rex and the rest will have some common sense, but I'm not having them leave the Arctic _yet_.

 **Achilles453 -** Yeah, well RIP the Soviet camp. I hope you enjoy this chapter as well!

 **teresa. spanics -** Thank you for spotting yet another typo of mine. Fox and Vindi's motivations are touched on here, as is the crash site. As for what was in the ice, all will be revealed in due time. And yes, there are Predators on the loose here.

 **48 Miles Northwest of Peary Station, February 7,** **1970, 1605 Hours**

Rex thrust his arm in the air and made a twirling motion with his finger. The squad knew what to do and spread out to form a semi-circle around the wreck. He motioned forward with his arm and the group advanced, weapons raised. They crested the last rise and finally laid eyes on the reason they had been flown up to the arctic.

In front of them, smashed deep into the Arctic ice, was a strange looking aircraft. It had a black, streamlined fuselage; no tail or horizontal stabilizer; two engine nacelles to the side of the craft and two more thrusters on top of the rear of the craft. It was like nothing that they had ever seen.

Fives whistled at the sight, "What the fuck is that?"

Cutup shrugged, "Definitely not the Soviets. The intel we recovered indicates that they were investigating this the same as we were."

Rex glanced at him, "You sure?"

Echo nodded in support of Cutup, "He's right. KGB officer Vladimir Isachenkov was ordered here by Moscow to investigate what they believed was a US crash site. The Alpha Group squad was provided by a General Grevious."

Rex swore, "I know that name. Grevious is the leader of Spetsnaz."

Fives nodded, "Then they must have thought this crash was significant."

Hevy laughed, "I can see why. But if that's not theirs, or ours, what is it? Where'd it come from."

A silence settled over the entire group. Rex's mind cycled back to his conversations with Vartan, Kaedan, and Airman Tano.

 _"A meteor might move almost horizontally from west to east, but never upwards."_

 _"Twenty thousand tons of steel is an awful lot for an airplane."_ _"It is for the type of airplane we know of, Ahsoka."_

Rex then remembered Vartan mentioned something about Fox confiscating info. He murmured under his breath, "Son of a bitch."

"Excuse me, sir?"

Rex sighed, "Hevy, get on the phone with Puffin. Tell them area is secured."

Hevy nodded, "Right away, sir."

"And tell them I need to speak with Vartan and Airman Tano once they arrive."

 **-0-**

Vindi nearly shouted in triumph as the all-clear signal came over the radio. Hopefully the Soviets had not messed anything up. He glanced over at Cody, who gave a subtle nod. Cody didn't know much about the doctor, but he knew that he was some high up in the government. All Cody knew was that he was there to ensure that whatever Vindi was after was recovered. The station commander would be no issue either. He was already in on what was going on, for Fox was the one who reported the crash. Fox knew the truth, Cody did not. Well, he didn't know the whole truth.

Vindi would please his masters back in Washington. This crash was not of earthly origin, and it was his job to recover anything that could be weaponized. Anything that gave them a leg up over the Soviets.

Vindi glanced back at Vartan, the on-station science officer. The man was suspicious of him, that much Vindi could tell. How far in figuring out the truth, Vindi did not know. Fox was supposed to confiscate everything of relevance related to the crash. Needless to say, Vindi would have to keep an eye on Vartan. Vindi would also have to feign surprise when they arrived. After all, he had no clue what was up here, right?

Now there was the Ranger captain, what was the name... Rex? And there was also his squad and the other chopper pilot. The Ranger squad was your standard 6-7 man infiltration/recon team. They were there to do a job, and didn't question orders. Vindi had heard Fox tell the secretary that Vartan had wanted to see her, and he had seen the secretary drag the pilot out the door. What Vartan had wanted then, Vindi didn't know, and frankly didn't care. What could he have told a secretary that would affect him? Although he didn't remember seeing Rex until it was time to leave. Where had he been?

Regardless, Vindi had the authority to do as he pleased up here. All these people would either sign non-disclosure agreements or would just 'disappear'. The Rangers would sign, as would everyone else in the military. The civilians however... they might have to disappear.

 **-0-**

The Rangers inspected the outside of the craft. The craft was halfway burried in the Arctic ice. It had melted the ice when it crashed, and the ice had refrozen around it. It seemed to have been shot down for there were burn marks all over the outside. One of the thrusters had been completely destroyed. The fuselage had been punctured in one spot, the metal bending in. Cutup and Hevy climbed up to it, and it was clearly where the Soviets had entered. The hole was in the roof of some room, which appeared to be a storage room of some kind. Something had clambered in and out of it, footprints were outside of it. Some were boot prints from the Soviets, others were not. There was a hole dug out of the ice nearby, so whatever had been in the block of ice had been found here.

Although there was another thing. Rex circled the wreck, coming to a halt next to what appeared to be a hatch on the side of the fuselage above him. But Rex was focused on something completely different. A strange smell wafted over a snowdrift, a smell of death. They were too far away from the Soviet camp for it to be from there, and it came from a different direction.

Cutup came around the other side, and also halted at the smell. Rex looked up at him and Cutup shrugged. "What do you make of it?"

Rex sighed, "I don't know, I think we should take a look."

Cutup nodded, and the two Rangers slowly crept to the top of the snow drift. Rex halted at the top, looking through his binoculars. He handed them to Cutup, "There's something a little bit over that way." He pointed out into the valley.

"Let's check it out."

They advanced to the site, about a quarter mile from the crash site. There were multiple footprints in the snow. There were also some indentations in the snow, as if a human had been thrown onto their back. But nothing there was human, the prints, even the smaller ones, were way too big and reptile-like for a human. Cutup said, "A scuffle of some kind took place here. It appears that it started on that ridge we just came down, like someone accosted whoever was coming from the Soviet camp, and then attacked them."

Rex nodded and squated down in the snow, "The footprints are the same as those from the crash site. There appears to be one pair of large ones, and at least three pairs of smaller ones."

There was also something else. Something had partially frozen to the snow, a lime green substance that vaguely resembled... blood.

Cutup knelt next to it. "I don't know what to make of this green stuff. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was blood."

Rex's head shot over, "Blood?"

Cutup nodded, and pointed back towards the Soviet camp. "There appear to be two trails of blood, heading back that way with two pairs of footprints. In the camp, we only saw one type of print, the larger one. Something attacked whoever destroyed the Soviet camp and carried it and something like it back in that direction."

Back at the crash site, some static came over the radio, and Hevy switched it on. Fox had sent the signal that they were at LZ Charlie and ready to land. He whistled loudly twice, the signal for Rex to come to the radio.

Rex heard it and looked at his sniper, "Tell no one about this and stay in a sniper position on the top of that drift. I'm almost certain that this crash is extraterrestrial."

 **-0-**

Ahsoka steadily piloted her chopper behind Fox's. She wasn't surprised when Fox told her that Rex wanted to speak with her. She had told Fox it was probably about transportation of salvage back from the crash site, but she knew what he wanted to talk to her about. It was about the crash.

The two choppers landed a short distance away from the crash site, and she saw three men cloaked in white camouflage on a snowdrift. They ran down towards them, and Ahsoka could make out Rex and a soldier named Hevy. With the heavy M-79 grenade launcher he carried, she understood why that was his name. The other one she believed was Kix, but she wasn't sure.

Suddenly, movement crossed her vision in the corner of her eye. Ahsoka squinted her eyes and thought she saw a ripple in the air, but it was probably the Sun's glare reflecting off the snow.

She shut off the chopper's engine, and jumped out to meet up with the group surrounding Fox's chopper. Hevy, the Rangers' tech specialist, was speaking to them, "The craft is a wreck. I don't think it can fly."

Rex nodded, "It's like nothing we've seen. Must be highly experimental jet technology."

Cody's eyes seemed to brighten at those words, and Ahsoka swore she saw amusement in Vindi's and Fox's eyes. Vindi spoke, "I would very much like to see it."

Ahsoka cut in, "Rex, Vartan, we need to talk about logistics getting what we can back to base."

Rex nodded, "Agreed. Dr. Vindi... Hevy and Kix will take you, Fox, and Cody to the wreck. We'll catch up shortly afterwards."

They walked off and Rex turned to make sure they were out of earshot. Ahsoka spoke first, "I'm assuming you found something of interest here?"

Rex nodded, "The Soviets had a camp a mile or so west of the crash site. They came here believing it was one of ours."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. "If it's not ours, and not one of theirs... then who's is it?"

Rex turned to Vartan, "You may be right. If I had any doubts before, I know now that this ship is not Earthly in origin."

Vartan swore, "Son of a bitch, I knew it!"

Rex continued, "The Soviets cut something out of the ice surrounding the spaceship in a block of ice. It probably burst out and massacred them."

Ahsoka nodded, "The gunfire and smoke?"

Rex nodded, "But they weren't just massacred, several bodies were mutilated. The block of ice we found had a humanoid cavity, and there were tracks leading towards the crash site. Cutup and I found some kind of frozen liquid and signs of a fight about a quarter mile northwest of the crash. We thought it was blood. And Cutup and I believe that there is still something on the loose."

Vartan nodded, "Probably some form of extraterrestrial life. We should get there, keep an eye on Cody, Fox, and Vindi. I could see it in their eyes, they're hiding something from us. Ahsoka, when we get back, we need to call General Skywalker, find out what we can about Dr. Nuvo Vindi."

As the three trekked towards the crash site, two cloaked figures watched, listening in on the distorted conversation. They were not there to hunt, just to prevent the weapon from getting loose. The problem was that the where the 'humans', as they were called, had got here before them. The fight had delayed them for too long. The weapon was in the ship, and they had to remain unseen. The humans could find it first. Now, they had to watch and wait for reinforcements. Also, the leader of the two wanted to watch how humans would fight against something that was even stealthier than themselves. Who knew? One of the humans that they had hunted for so long might be a hunter of a their caliber. But if things got out of hand, the Predators would intervene.

 **-0-**

"Incredible!"

The craft was more magnificent than anything that Vindi could have hoped for. Sadly, it had been damaged, but those things happened. Nevertheless, this was the first UFO crash that Vindi could verify as real. There was no way this could be a hoax. And the best part, the entrance was above ground. Rex, Vartan, and the pilot crested the drift and made their way towards them. Now what had they been talking about? Vindi doubted that they were talking about logistics.

Vindi and Fox primed their geiger counters. Rex stopped before them, "Geiger counters?"

Vindi nodded, "If this is a Soviet experimental plane, it could have nuclear material or weapons on board. Just a precaution."

Rex shrugged and showed them the hole in the storage room, "This is the entrance we found. The Soviets dug something humanoid out of the ice." He pointed at the hole in the ice, "But whatever it was, killed them."

Cody frowned, "What do you mean?"

Vindi and Fox shared an uncertain glance. Did Rex know? Rex called Echo over and took a paper from him before telling Cody, "The Soviets sent a KGB officer named Isachenkov up here, suspecting that this was an American crash."

Cody's eyes widened, "We found one!" He cried out in triumph. "We finally found a flying saucer!"

A flicker of shock crossed Rex's face, but it disappeared quickly. He looked at Cody hard, "Careful brother, whatever the Soviets dug up managed to kill an entire Alpha Group squad in a matter of minutes."

Cody's expression sobered slightly, but he was still clearly excited. Vindi coughed, "Let's get on with it."

Vartan and Rex exchanged a suspicious glance at the doctor, and Rex started to turn to go back to his squad. But he stopped, and unholstered his M1911 pistol. Rex handed it to Vartan, who took it with a nod. Rex spoke slowly, dead serious, "You don't know what you'll find in there." He narrowed his eyes at Vindi and shrugged, "Just a precaution."

With that, he left.

Vartan entered behind them. It was odd, the door was open leading into the interior of the ship. Cody and Fox led the way as they entered a dark, circular room. A layer of mist hung low over the ground. The glow of flashlights revealed that there were multiple pillers and columns in the room, with one right smack in the middle. The walls were covered in a strange, alien writing. The flashlights also revealed multiple skulls on one wall of various alien creatures. There was an odd one of a long cylindrical skull with a mouth of sharp teeth hiding an inner jaw. There was a dinosaur-like skull, and another that chilled them to the bone. Displayed on the wall was a very familiar skull, a _human_ skull.

Vartan let out a shaky breath, "What?" He turned to everyone else, "It's not possible! It's human."

Cody nodded slowly, "I can't believe it. Whoever built this has been here before. And they killed a human... as a trophy."

Vartan shook his head, "We have to get out of here! We can't join whoever owned this skull."

Fox blocked his path, "Relax Vartan. This ship is dead. Whoever did this isn't here anymore."

"How are you sure! Say that to the Soviets!"

Cody put a hand on Vartan's shoulder, "You can go if you'd like. I won't force you to remain here."

"Thank you Commander." Vartan was visibly relieved, and Cody walked him to the exit. Before Vartan climbed out the entry hole, he said something to Cody, but it was too faint for Vindi to hear. When Cody came back, Vindi swore he could see a hint of distrust in the SEAL's eyes.

The three continued on, deeper into the crashed spaceship.

 **-0-**

Rex saw Vartan climb out of the craft alone and he walked over to the science officer. "What happened?"

Vartan said, "I couldn't stand it in there anymore. That place just... unsettles me."

"How?" Ahsoka came walking over, a smirk on her face. "I thought you'd be ecstatic about this. You don't find a crashed spaceship every other day."

Vartan shook his head, "You don't find a human skull mounted on a trophy wall every day."

"A what?" Ahsoka's mouth dropped open in disbelief. Even Rex and his nearby Rangers were taken aback.

Rex turned to Fives, "Fives, I'm going in, you're in command until I get back." He picked up his rifle and started towards the entry hole.

At least, he was until Ahsoka blocked his path. "Mind if I tag along. I've got nothing better to do besides sit on my ass."

Rex narrowed his eyes, but motioned with his head towards the breach. He climbed in first and flicked on the flashlight attached to his rifle. Behind him, Ahsoka jumped swiftly through the opening and Rex heard her check the magazine on her M1911 sidearm before chambering a round.

The two entered the central room and were immediately taken aback by the beauty of it. The strange orangish lighting, the alien writing on the walls, the pillars around the room, the mist on the floor all combined to make a mysterious, yet beautiful image. They rounded the central slab to see the trophy wall. Sure enough, a human skull stared at them through sightless eyes.

Ahsoka shuddered at the sight. Her eyes darted to the shadows and she spun around, every sound in the crashed ship a threat now. Rex placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, before the sound of footsteps echoed through the ship.

The two spun to meet the sound, weapons trained on the opening. Three silhouettes appeared in the mist, two of them carrying something in a tarp. Rex shouted a challenge, and Fox's voice responded.

Fox looked upset, "Rex, Airman Tano, what are you doing here?!?"

Rex saw what they were carrying and was about to say something when Ahsoka cut in. The almost feral snarl on her face matched the intensity of her angry retort. "I wasn't told we'd be investigating a spaceship flown by something that makes trophies of men."

Rex pointed his weapon at the tarpaulin-cased thing Fox and Cody were carrying. "And what's that?"

Vindi was absolutely beaming as he responded, "A specimen! We found an extraterrestrial!"

Ahsoka's eyes widened, "What?!?"

Rex angrily yelled, "Destroy it!"

"What? Why would we do that?"

"How do we know that that won't massacre us like it did the Soviets?"

Fox intervened, "Rex, I seem to remember you saying it was something humanoid, right?"

"That's right."

Fox smirked, "Take a look at it with that flashlight? It's nowhere near human."

Rex shone his flashlight at it, and sure enough, the creature in the ice was nowhere near humanoid. It was kind of crab-like, with claws and a hard outer shell.

"Fine. But fly it back in your chopper. You can stay here as long as you'd like, but my squad is pulling back to base." Rex snorted, "And once we get back to Peary Station, my squad is refueling and leaving immediately. I want no part of this."

Cody looked at him, and Rex swore he could see some kind of sadness in the SEAL's eyes. Rex could care less, he would have Ahsoka fly his squad out of here. Whatever Cody and Fox had got themselves into, they could deal with. They were both Navy SEALs after all.

Rex stormed out of the ship and yelled behind him, "Tano! Fire the chopper up, we're leaving."

 **So now, Vindi has discovered something in the depths of the alien spaceship. Any guesses as to what it is? And something is going on with Cody, but what?**

 **Next Chapter: The Thing Awakens**


	6. Chapter 5: Awakening

**Hey guys! Apologies again for taking so long to update, but Senior year began for me and my school chromebook blocks this website so I have to update everything from the mobile app. Bear with me, as it might take longer for me to get these out than I'd like.**

 **On a more positive note, the Thing finally makes its appearance here! I hope you all enjoy this chapter!**

 **SirLoozElite -** Yes, the Thing and Predators are on the loose! Just a wonderful day in the Arctic, right? Sadly, there are no xenomorphs in this fic (that would be too ambitious, even for me), the skull was just a cameo/easter egg.

 **Achilles453 -** I'm glad you liked it. The trophy wall was just my inner Predator fanboy coming out.

 **teresa. spanics -** The Thing is the reason the Predators are around. As for why they're on Earth, in good time. All in good time.

 **Jayfeathers Friend** This fic will be primarily a Star Wars/The Thing crossover, so sadly the Predators will have a more minor role. The Predators _will_ have their moments in the sun and I do have an idea for a StarPred crossover in the future so all I can say is stay tuned.

 **Peary Station, February 7, 1970, 1850 Hours**

Rex sat glumly at the bar in the common room holding a glass of beer. The half-empty bottle sat next to him and Vartan, left there by Selda. All around the room, the members of Rex's squad were sprawled out, resting after quite a chaotic day. Ahsoka sat at a table chatting with Kaedan Larte and the medic Barriss Offee. Rex had wanted to fly back to Alaska immediately, but Selda and Boil had shot that idea down.

Shortly after they had left Eielson AFB, a blizzard had swept in over Alaska from the southwest. It made any flying to and from there difficult, and to make matters worse, it seemed to be approaching them as well.

Ahsoka's head perked up, something Rex noticed, and he looked over at her for some kind of explanation why. She nodded her head towards the northwest and said, "Listen."

Sure enough, Rex could hear the rythmic thumping of helicopter blades. The other chopper had arrived back at the station. Everyone gathered in the doorway as Fox and Cody hopped off the chopper. The two SEALs pulled the tarpaulin out of the chopper and carried it towards the station through a light snowfall. Noting the snow, Rex turned to Ahsoka, "The beginning of the storm?"

She nodded, "Looks like it. I don't know when we'll be out of here."

They were interrupted by Vindi talking to Cody and Fox as he walked behind them, enthusiasm clear on his face and in his voice.

Rex and Vartan stopped the trio in the doorway, and Rex spoke, "Where do intend to put that?"

The three were obviously confused as to why the Ranger was still there. "Rex." Fox stated, "I thought you'd have left by now."

Rex nodded over at Boil and Ahsoka, "Weather's nasty over Alaska. Large blizzard approaching here. Airman Tano doesn't want to risk flying in that type of weather."

"Alright, fair enough. But this is my base, and I choose where to put something in my base."

Vartan stepped in between them, "How about the store room? It's large enough and it's got an entrance from outside."

Fox shrugged, "Fine. Go ahead and open the door there."

The small group trudged through the ice to get to the storeroom door. It swung in as they approached, and Vartan appeared in the doorway. The tarp was placed on the snow and slid down to the entrance, followed by the rest of the group. Inside, Vartan, Cody, Fox, and Fives lifted it up onto the empty table. The scientists military men gathered around it, while Ahsoka, Kaedan, and Barris stood in the hallway and watched from the door.

The tarp was opened and the group saw the creature for the first time. It was covered in snow and a thin layer of opaque ice. It had to have been frozen all the way to its core.

Echo whistled, "They certainly weren't made for beauty wherever he came from."

Vartan looked at the rest, "Well, what do we do now? Defrost him?"

Kix brushed some of the snow off, "This ice will melt pretty soon. Fox, can you control heat in this room?"

Kaedan answered from the doorway, "No, this is our storeroom. The temperature's constant in here."

Vindi was marveling at it when he said, "It wouldn't be necessary to melt the ice. We could probably just chip it off."

Rex spoke up sharply, "I'm sorry Doctor, but we are not going to melt it or chip it." He pointed at the window, "Cutup, can you open that window."

He nodded and walked toward the window as Vindi looked at Rex, mouth agape. "You mean we're not allowed to examine it? Investigate the-"

Vindi was cut off by Rex, who glared at him, "I mean just that, Doctor."

"This is stupid. I'm a scientist."

Fox nearly yelled, "I'm in command of this base Rex!"

Cutup called from the window, "Hey Rex. These windows won't open."

Vindi cut in over Cutup, "We'll practically be ordered by your superiors to examine it."

Rex calmly looked at him, "We probably will, Doctor, but I can't permit it now."

Fox was glaring daggers at the blonde Ranger captain, "You can't permit anything Rex! I'm in charge here and I don't need any permission."

Rex shot back at him, "But I have a fully-armed squad of Army Rangers. This mission was authorized by an Army General, and I am taking control here." Rex looked over to the window, "Cutup, break that window."

"Right." Cutup grabbed a nearby snowshoe and smashed the glass panes, letting the freezing Arctic air blast into the room.

Rex looked at the others, his Ranger squad backing him up. "Sorry, but a highly experienced Soviet commando team has already been killed out there in the ice over that wreck. We may not know anything about what this…" he indicated the frozen creature, "had to do with it, but until I receive direct orders from General Skywalker and General Kenobi, you'll just have to mark time."

Fox lost it, "Captain, you have no authority here-"

Again, Rex cut him off, "If you want to talk, we'll do it in the hallway. It's going to get pretty cold in here."

Cody laughed and patted Rex on the back, "At last, a sensible suggestion."

As everyone piled out, Rex grabbed his second-in-command's arm, "Fives, you stay here. We'll take four-hour shifts. And remember, it's hands-off for everyone."

Fives nodded, "Right."

On his way out, Echo slapped Fives on the arm, "Gonna be warm enough?"

"Echo, if not, you'll hear me squak. Even louder than Hardcase in a normal firefight."

Said Ranger swore in the background, and Echo laughed, "Kix'll bring you some dinner."

"I appreciate it. Although I could use something to read. How 'bout a nice, quiet horror story?"

The Rangers laughed as they left the Sergeant and filtered into the hallway. Rex faced an angry Fox, an annoyed Vindi, and an amused Cody. "Well gentlemen?"

Fox glared at him and had his arms crossed across his chest, "Captain Rex…"

Vindi intercut, "Commander, may I?"

Fox huffed, but allowed the doctor to speak. "In relation to thawing the body or removing it from whatever ice encases it, I'd like to point out that there are organisms that survive after death, but cold can destroy them. Now in view of that…"

Vartan stepped forwards and interrupted him, "Now on the other hand, these same organisms may be dangerous. They may be carrying disease germs from another planet. Germs we couldn't cope with medically."

Rex nodded his head, "Thank you."

Fox huffed, "I can't agree with you, Vartan."

Vindi nodded, "I don't either."

Vartan crossed his arms, "Well, here's another. We don't know what effect the air of our Earth will have on this creature's remains. It's completely cased in a layer of ice right now, but take that ice away…"

Hardcase laughed, "Sort of go up in smoke, huh?"

Vindi shook his head vigorously, "Nonsense. That's a bit far-fetched."

Vartan chuckled, "And a creature from Mars isn't?"

Fox stomped his boot, the report thundering through the room, "Enough! We're getting nowhere. I suggest that Captain Rex call his superiors at once."

Ahsoka spoke up from where she was leaning on a stack of crates, "You boys are getting senile. We should have done that in the first place."

The group began to walk towards the radio room, Fox and Rex shoulder to shoulder. Fox sneered, "Captain Rex, I'm surprised that you didn't try to reach General Skywalker on your way back here."

Rex calmly responded, "We did. Ahsoka."

Ahsoka nodded, "I tried to send a message through your radio operator, sir. Couldn't get through this time. Too much interference."

Fox looked at Rex, "I see." He spoke with false sincerity, "My apologies, Captain."

Fox threw the door open and Selda turned around as Rex, Hevy, Ahsoka, Fox, Vindi, and Vartan entered before closing the door. Selda smiled, "Hi Ahsoka." He turned to Rex, "Captain Rex. You're sure stirring up a fine lot of trouble."

Rex sighed, "Never mind that. Did you send out my message?"

Selda nodded, "Sure did."

"Did you get a response?"

"This came in about fifteen minutes ago. General Skywalker to Captain Rex. _Orders from Washington. Inspect unidentified aircraft crash and recover anything of value. Everything here grounded, can't join…_ Something. _… want you…_ Then it gets really fouled up."

"You can't get anything?" Fox asked, this time with genuine concern.

"Not a thing. Static's knocking everything right out of the air."

"What about your stuff?"

Selda shrugged, "I don't know if they're getting it. I doubt it."

Rex turned to Vindi and Fox, "Well?"

Vindi smirked, "In view of this new situation…"

"Doesn't alter the old one."

"We disagree with you. There is no reason to delay."

"Sorry gentlemen. That. Is. It." Rex turned to Selda, "Selda, I'd like to leave Hevy here to help out all he can. He's my squad's tech specialist."

Selda looked at Hevy, who nodded and smiled, before grinning, "Sure, Captain."

Rex turned to Hevy, "Hevy, keep trying to get through. I want to get a message to the Generals. Tell them that the crash is extraterrestrial in origin and that Fox and Cody found a passenger in the crash."

Selda cut in, "You guys found a Martian? Where is he?"

Ahsoka gave Selda a reassuring smile, "On ice, Selda."

Rex turned back to Hevy, "Tell them the body's in a thin case of ice and is probably frozen all the way through. Dr. Vindi wants permission to thaw it out for examination. We're unable to leave due to impending storm and are standing by for instructions before further action." He turned to both Fox and Vindi, "Got anything to add to that?"

Vindi glowered at him, "Yes, one very essential point. That it's vitally important that the examination be made."

Fox added, "Also, let him know that Captain Rex is usurping my authority here."

Rex ignored Fox and turned to Hevy, "And let the Generals know that an entire Soviet Special Ops team was massacred by something extraterrestrial. Since this is an Army operation, I am taking command as the highest ranking Army officer. Got all that Hevy."

"Yes sir."

Vindi huffed indignantly, "Thank you Captain. That's all that concerns me."

Fox nodded and looked straight into Selda's eyes, "When you receive your answer, I expect you to let us know Selda."

"Yes sir."

With that, the two left the room. Ahsoka watched them leave and looked over at Rex. Rex saw her smirk and raised an eyebrow, "What?"

"Wait until those two put in a report on you. It'll be good to read."

Rex laughed lightly before moving to leave, "Selda, Hevy, keep trying. Let me know if you receive anything."

"Will do Captain."

 **-0-**

 **2130 Hours…**

The Ranger squad, minus Fives, Kix, and Hevy, were relaxing in the common room, reminiscing about old missions and stories with Cody, Ahsoka, Barris, and Kaedan when Kix entered the room. "Captain, can I see you for a minute?"

"Sure Kix. Come on."

The two left to head into the corridor and Rex faced his medic, "Alright Kix, what's the problem?"

"I'm worried about Fives sir. Sitting in that cold room all alone with that frozen cadaver."

"He getting nervous?"

Kix chuckled, "I know he wouldn't want me to say this but, he's going batshit crazy. I haven't heard him squak like that since Signal Hill."

"Really?" Rex raised an eyebrow and started laughing, "That's hard to imagine."

Kix sighed, "You see sir, the snow's all gone, and the ice is near transparent. It isn't melting, but we can see through it easily. That thing looks crazy, like a crab almost. Its eyes… they're open and look like it can see."

Rex smirked, "Kix, I haven't seen you-"

Kix interrupted him, "It's got me too, sir, and I wasn't in there very long. Besides that, it's pretty cold in there now. I got the Sergeant an electric blanket." He paused, "Captain, I got a suggestion."

Rex nodded, "Go ahead."

"Instead of four-hour shifts, we could cut them in half…"

Rex nodded again, placing a hand on Kix's shoulder, "Okay, I'll get someone to take over in half an hour at 2200. You take over at midnight and I'll relieve you at 0200."

"Thank you sir." Kix looked quite relieved and Rex smiled, "No problem Kix. Get some food."

The two Rangers walked back in the room and Rex spoke up, "Alright guys, I need a volunteer to take the 2-hour shift in thirty minutes."

Ahsoka stood up, "I'll do it, I've got nothing else to do."

Rex nodded and smiled, "Thanks Ahsoka. Get your coat, it'll be a cold night."

 **2200 Hours…**

Fives was talking to Ahsoka who had just arrived. He was incredibly glad he no longer had to watch that cursed thing. "It's the eyes being open that'll get you. Makes you feel so…"

The door opened behind them and Rex stepped in. Fives snapped off a quick salute, "Hi sir. Ahsoka just got here. Sure glad I'm not looking at that guy anymore."

Rex nodded and looked over at the pilot, "You got everything you need Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka grinned, "Yes sir. I've got a heated flight suit and some coffee."

Rex smiled, "Good. Kix will relieve you at midnight. About two hours from now. Take it easy."

Ahsoka smirked back at him, "Will do."

The door closed and she was alone in the room. Well, not really alone but still. The wind howled above them, the storm was getting closer. Ahsoka whistled to herself as she bent over the table, looking at the thing on the boards. Through the thin sheet of ice, only partially distorted, could be seen an unearthly horror. It had a bulbous head, multiple eyes, no ears, body covered in a crab-like exoskeleton. Its arms, if they could be called arms, were extra-long, ending in claw-like thorny clusters, rather than hands. It stared up malevolently. Ahsoka let out a grunt of dismay, and turned away.

Ahsoka went to sit down and poured herself a cup of coffee. She drank slowly, not shaking the feeling that she was being watched. She turned to look at the thing on the table and shook her head. She poured herself another cup of coffee before something inside her snapped. "Stop staring at me!" She yelled as she whirled to face it.

Nothing happened. Ahsoka looked around the room for something she could use to cover it, and spotted a blanket thrown onto a shelf. She quickly grabbed it, spreading it over the alien creature. "That's better." She said to herself, then turned to sit down at the table and read a book Padme had made sure Ahsoka brought with her. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B. Traven.

What Ahsoka didn't notice, was the cable that extended from one corner of the blanket to a wall socket. The electric blanket was plugged in and set on low. A drop of water hit the floor, drowned out by the howl of the wind.

An hour later, and the electric blanket had caused a small puddle to form on the floor. Not only that, but it had thawed the creature completely through. Ahsoka didn't notice, as the wind drowned out all sound and she was focused on her reading. Out in the kennel, the sled dogs that the station used from time to time stirred, something was wrong. They started pulling at their chains, yelping frantically in the direction of the storeroom.

A floorboard creaked behind Ahsoka as she went to pour herself another cup of coffee. She froze, seeing a shadow that wasn't hers. The cup of freshly poured coffee fell to the ground with a clatter and a splash as she slowly turned to look behind her. Her eyes widened in fear at the sight.

Ahsoka jumped to her feet, jerking her M1911 pistol out of its holster. She pulled the trigger, and the gun thundered loudly in the small room. She fired four times as she backed to the door, the alien unleashing an unearthly screech as hot lead tore through its outer shell. Ahsoka grabbed the door handle with one hand, wrenching it open as she emptied the last three shots in the magazine into the alien. It roared and lunged at her, and Ahsoka ran back through the door, slamming it shut. The door boomed as the alien slammed into it and Ahsoka took off running down the hall in a panic. In her panic, she knocked over a stack of crates, screaming her head off. "Captain Rex! Captain Rex!"

 **-0-**

Vartan and Cody were stunned when the gunshots echoed through the common room, and they jumped to their feet as the door was flung open. Ahsoka stumbled in, face white as the snow and ice outside, gun pointed straight ahead of her with the slide locked back. Cody rushed over to her, "What's the matter Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka stumbled over to Vartan, nearly falling into him. "Vartan, where's Captain Rex? I've got to tell him… I've got to tell him that thing's alive. I saw it. It chased me. It's not dead. It's..."

Ahsoka trailed off as the other door opened and Rex and his squad entered the room. "Captain Rex!" Ahsoka ran over to Rex, her empty gun still pointed straight ahead of her, "That thing's alive sir. I saw it. I shot at it. I hit it, I know I did." Rex grabbed the barrel of Ahsoka's pistol, gently pointing it away from everyone. "Nothing happened, it just kept… coming at me, making a noise like a cat mewing. Captain, it was awful! If you could have seen those hands and those eyes! You've got to do something about it! You've got…"

Ahsoka stopped talking as water hit her in the face, thrown gently by Vartan. She gasped, taking a deep breath as Vartan gently steered her into a chair. Rex turned to his squad, "Fives, Echo. Get some guns." They ran off to get their weapons and Rex turned back to the shaking pilot, "Now Ahsoka, what happened?"

Ahsoka stammered, regaining a bit of her composure, "I'm sorry, sir. I don't know exactly, but all of a sudden it was alive and coming at me. I shot at it and hit it. Nothing happened, so I ran."

Fox, Vindi, Kaedan, and Barriss entered through the door Ahsoka had flung open and Fox glared at Rex. "I heard gunshots. What happened?"

Fives and Echo returned, passing out weapons to the Rangers. Rex turned to Vartan, "Take care of her, will you?"

Suddenly, a loud, repetitive booming from somewhere in the station echoed into the common room. Almost as if something large was banging against a door.

Vartan nodded and he, Barriss and Kaedan went to her side. Rex led the way through the hallway, strapping his gun belt on his waist as he went and he pulled his sidearm from it's holster. Boil and Waxer joined the group from the hanger tunnel, both with their sidearms readied. Cody crept behind Rex, and the others behind them, guns in hand.

All the while, the booming continued from inside the storeroom. Something massive inside was slamming against walls, doors, everything. Rex, Cody, and Hardcase exchanged looks ranging from shock to terror. Then, a terrible, alien screech echoed from inside. Bestial. Big.

A loud crunch followed. The banging suddenly stopped. But now the corrugated metal roof reverberated as if something heavy were crossing it at great speed. Above the group, the ceiling shuddered as large dents crumpled inward towards them in a dotted line, marking the heavy footfalls of the Thing overhead as it tore across the roof. Fox, Hevy, Boil, and Waxer ran back to the common room. The civilians were there, defenseless.

Rex chambered a round in his pistol as Hardcase took up a position to cover him with his M60. Cody nodded to Rex and kicked the door in.

 **Ah yes, another cliffhanger ending. Do you hate me?** **I probably would.**

 **Next Chapter: Confrontation with an extraterrestrial**


	7. Chapter 6: Zombie Dog

**Hey guys! Again, so sorry for the delay in posting, but life happens. I'm trying to juggle everything going on in my life: high school, college applications, umpiring, and writing this story, so like I've said before it takes longer than I'd like. Oh, and I also got fired by my jerk of a boss over a dispute on pay after he shorted me last season.**

 **Okay, enough of my personal problems, on to the action. I hope you all enjoy this chapter and as always, feel free to leave a review/comment and I'll get back to you.**

 **Achilles453 -** Yep, time for the Thing to do what it does best. Be advised though, character death approaching.

 **teresa. spanics -** Thank you! Fun fact: if you watch the original 1951 film "The Thing from Another World," you'll notice I borrowed a lot of it for the last chapter. As for the Predators' intentions, again all in good time, all in good time.

 **Peary Station Storeroom, February 7, 1970, 2315 Hours**

The door to the storeroom swung open and Rex and Cody burst in, Hardcase covering them with his machine gun. The tarp sat there open on the table, a small puddle of water in it and on the floor beneath it. The wind blew errant pieces of snow in through a gaping hole in the roof. Cody was astonished, "What could've…"

Fives punched his fist into his palm, "I knew it. I fucking knew it! All the time I was in here, I could feel it."

Cody picked something up off the floor, "Here's what did it. This blanket was on, it's still warm."

Rex spoke up, "Ahsoka must've covered our alien friend up not knowing it was on. It isn't here now anyways, we have get back to the others."

The group moved back through the hallway, locking the storeroom door behind them. They hurried back to the common room, Hardcase covering their six. They entered the common room quickly, and everyone spun to look at them. All were there, except Hevy and Selda. Rex looked at Fox, "The others still in the radio room?"

Fox nodded yes and Rex continued, "Rangers on me, get the heavy weapons."

Vindi's eyes widened with alarm, "One moment Captain!" Rex stopped and turned around, and Vindi asked, "Where are you going?"

"To find our visitor."

"The creature was likely in some form of hibernation, and is probably disoriented, sluggish, and afraid. Our first order is locating it. Do not engage it."

Fives got up in his face, "Why the hell not?"

Vindi puffed his chest out, trying to look strong, "Captain, when you find what you're looking for, remember that it's a stranger in a strange land. Its only crimes were those committed against it. It woke from a block of ice and was attacked and shot by a frightened pilot. All I want is to communicate with it."

Rex regarded him for a moment with his steely gaze, "Fine, provided that it's locked up." He turned to the rest, "I need one volunteer from this base to act as a guide, we don't know about every nook and cranny."

Kaedan stepped forward, "I'll do it."

Rex raised an eyebrow, "You're sure?"

"Yes."

Rex nodded, "Alright then, take this." He handed her a pistol, then turned to face the rest of the group as a boom echoed from somewhere in the compound. Everyone in the room tensed. "Everyone else stay together. If you need to move, don't split up. Fox, you Cody, Boil, and Waxer protect the civies."

Cody, and surprisingly Fox, nodded without argue, the situation must have melted his temper slightly, and Rex started to leave followed by his team when Cody called after him, throwing something to him. "Rex. Take a geiger counter. We used that to find it in the first place."

Rex nodded, and he, Kaedan, Fives, Echo, Cutup, Kix, and Hardcase ran over to the radio room. Rex opened the door to see Hevy and Selda still working on the radio.

Hevy looked up to see the heavily armed group, "What's up Cap? Looks like a lynching party."

Rex asked, "Have any visitors?"

"Not a soul." Selda shrugged, "Besides you guys just now. What're you looking for?"

Kaedan spoke up, "Well, he couldn't have come in here."

Hevy frowned, "Who?"

"The man from Mars."

"You mean he's alive and loose?"

"Keep your door locked and your guns in reach." Rex closed the door and left them as Selda yelled after him, "What do you mean? Now look…" But Rex was already gone down the hallway.

They followed the dents in the roof until they ended. Continuing straight, the group arrived at a junction in the corridor. Another corridor branched off at an angle to the right while there was a door on the left. The main corridor continued straight. Kaedan spoke up, "The door on the left leads to the underground tunnel that leads to the vehicle hanger. The straight corridor leads to the dorms, Fox's office, greenhouse, the science lab and medical bay. That smaller corridor will take you to the kennel."

Rex nodded, "Alright then, we split up, cover more ground. Fives, Echo, take the hanger. Cutup, Kix, the kennel. Hardcase, you, me and Ms. Larte will go straight."

They all nodded and moved out, Cutup and Kix stealthily creeping towards the kennel. They heard a whining up ahead, the whining of a sled dog. Then silence. Cutup and Kix glanced at each other, moving down the hallway guns lifted and trained in front of them. Cutup had switched his M14 sniper rifle for Rex's M16. Rex prefered to use his sidearm anyways. Kix had left his medkit back at the common room, also carrying an M16. The two opened the door at the end of the hallway and entered the kennel corridor, seeing a wire fence off to one side, with the kennel door open, and an extinguished light overhead. An icy, cold wind flew through the corridor. Cutup flicked a switch on the wall and the overhead lamp sparked to life, illuminating two unsettling sights. The door to the outside was broken open, snow and ice being driven in by the wind. Cutup whistled to himself, "This must have been the crash we heard from the rec room. It looks like the door was pushed in."

There was no response from Kix, and Cutup whirled to see Kix, eyes wide with a face white as a sheet. "Kix, what's wrong." Cutup looked into the kennel and swore. "Good God."

Four dogs huddled in the back corner, whining slightly. But what had horrified the medic lay in the middle of the kennel. Sitting there in the straw was a dog, fur frozen stiff by ice and death, with it's entrails spilling from its body.

Kix spoke, voice hollow, "It killed him. It killed him!"

Cutup spun the medic to face him and smacked Kix across the face, "Get a hold of yourself! It broke in from that door, and was probably confronted by the dogs. This one must've attacked, but was killed. It then heard us and ran. Now get Rex, I'll stand guard here."

Kix nodded shakily, "Yes, you do that." He turned and ran down the corridor.

Cutup watched him leave, then turned to the broken door, peering out at the snow and ice. He could barely see anything, just the silhouettes of the other buildings. Then, he thought he spotted something moving across the ice, towards the other end of the base where the greenhouse door would be, and yelled, "Who goes there?!" Nothing answered but the howl of the wind.

There was a glurping sound behind him, drowned out by the howling wind. Still the dogs heard it and perked up. The killed dog had begun to reconstitute itself somehow. Cutup heard the commotion and turned around, "What's got-" He stopped when he saw the supposedly dead dog reanimating. "What the hell?" Cutup remained rooted to the spot in horror as the scene unfolded before him. It was impossible. That dog was _dead!_ But still, its entrails were crawling back inside the wound and the gash was somehow closing itself. Fur reappeared around it until the dog looked like nothing had ever happened. The dead dog sat upright, silent, completely still, staring straight ahead at the other dogs; who knew something was wrong and they were confused, uncomfortable.

The "dog" continued to stare, sitting rigidly, unnaturally still. His eyes dead, lusterless black spheres. Bewildered, the other dogs began to pace back and forth as if they sensed something: a portent, a danger. They began a soft, purring growl.

The "dog" remained a statue and the growling built, the other dogs pacing even more nervously. Faster. Encircling. Emitting hisses and snarls. The lack of response driving them into a frenzy. Barks. Growls. More frenetic pacing. The din escalating. Darting forward. Closing in on the dog-Thing. _They attacked._

The dog-Thing suddenly lurched upward, seeming to enlarge. The kennel roared as Cutup screamed.

 **-0-**

Kix had been searching for Rex for a few minutes now, he hadn't been in the greenhouse, nor was he in Fox's office. Kix had one place left to look, Vartan's lab and the adjoining medbay and Ms. Larte's office.

Rex was searching through the science lab with Kaedan and Hardcase when Kix burst in. "Captain Rex! There you are."

Rex wheeled as Kix ran over to him, "That thing was in the kennel. It killed one of the dogs, but it fled when Cutup and I got there."

The captain grabbed Kix's shoulders, "Slow down, trooper. What happened?"

Kix took a deep breath and responded, "Cutup and I heard the dogs whining, and when we investigated, we found one of the dogs dead, a gash deep in its throat down its body. The door had been knocked down from the outside, that creature had been in there. When we arrived though, it was gone."

Kaedan spoke up, "Everything falls right into line. It jumped off the roof, found the door, and broke it down, that must've been the boom we heard, and entered the kennel for refuge, but was confronted by the dogs. It killed one, then fled when you neared it."

Rex raised an eyebrow, "Where's Cutup?"

"Still down there, sir. He told me to get you."

"You left him there alone?!" Rex was horrified, he turned to the other two. "Hardcase, you and Kaedan stay here no matter what. Pull the alarm if you see anything."

Hardcase saluted, "Yes sir."

Rex turned back to Kix, "We need to find Cutup. Lead the way." The two Rangers ran down the hallway to the junction. They had just passed Fox's office when distant barking could be heard, then something else… gunfire. Amidst the noise, a screeching.

Rex and Kix broke into a sprint, reaching the junction as Fox and Cody came running from the common room, civilians in tow. Cody yelled, "Rex, what's happening?!"

Rex said nothing, just continued running for the kennel. The others followed behind him. Rex came to the open door leading to the kennel corridor and saw Cutup backed against the wall, face white with fear, emptying the clip of his M16 through the open wire door of the kennel at something inside. Cody, Boil, Waxer, and Fox ran up behind him

"Cutup!"

Cutup didn't respond, only screamed as a tentacle of some sort thrust its way through the open door, impaling him through the stomach. Cutup stood there in shock as teeth-like prongs flexed at the end of the tentacle poking out his back. It retracted, tearing a portion of Cutup out with it. He collapsed to the wooden planks of the corridor, breathing shakily.

"No!" Rex screamed as he opened fire with his M1911. Waxer and Cody joined in with their M16s, firing through the grating of the fence wall. It was too dark to see, the light had been broken.

A dog flew through the open door, knocking Rex down as if it was jettisoned by a cannon. Cody slammed the door shut as Fox grabbed the dog and tried to restrain it. The dog was badly bloodied and barked furiously, scratching at the closed door trying to get back in.

Rex and Cody braced themselves by the narrow door and Fox and Boil tried desperately to reign in the hysterical dog. Cody flipped the latch on the door open and he and Rex entered. Rex snapped on a flashlight, trying to illuminate the darkness. Fox lost control of the animal and it barreled through the open kennel door, smacking into Rex from behind, sending him sprawling. Total confusion: barking dogs, pitch-black darkness, screeching, clambering of the men.

Cody called out in the darkness, "Rex, where are you?"

Rex groped for his flashlight and righted himself. The beam illuminated Cody, then Rex shone it around the room, trying to get his bearings. The light landed on a wild melee of dogs in the corner. Barking was mixed with hissing, a gurgling, a screeching. Dogs were being hurled about, then were charging back into the fray with a vengeance.

The flashlight illuminated parts of some "thing". A dog, but not quite a dog. Impossible to tell in the darkness. It struggled powerfully against the four dogs. Fox stuck his head in the door, "What's happening, damn it!"

Rex raised his pistol at the mass in the corner, "I'm going to shoot!"

From the corridor, Vindi screamed, "No! Stop!" as Cody and Rex fired away at the gurgling, hissing silhouette. From out of nowhere, a large, bristly arachnid leg sprung up and wrapped around the barrel of Cody's rifle, flinging him into the wall.

By now, others had run into the corridor, squeezing in next to Fox, trying to get a look at what was happening. Fives and Echo ran in, but ran out just as fast with a quick glance at each other. They knew what they needed here, and they took off for the hanger.

Inside the kennel, Rex finished off a magazine from his M1911 and jammed a new one in. A dog was flung at him, knocking him and his flashlight to the ground again, the gun flying back to the wire fence.

Waxer and Boil squeezed in and began blasting away with an M16 and shotgun in the direction of the hissing and screeching. A dog was hit. Rex crawled for his flashlight. "Cody! Where are you?"

The civilians covered their ears as Boil and Waxer continued firing away in the confined space at the silhouette as Boil yelled out, "The guns don't do shit!"

Fives and Echo lumbered in carrying a five-gallon drum of aviation fuel between them and a fire ax. Fox saw them and immediately knew what they were doing, he yelled to Vartan. "Get some fire extinguishers!" Waxer and Boil retreated through the narrow door as the two Rangers placed the canister in the doorway.

Rex saw Echo and Fives at the door and crawled over to Cody, who was lying face down by the wall. Rex grabbed him and pulled him back to the doorway as Fives broke open the barrel with his ax, and Echo kicked the canister onto its side. Aviation fuel splashed on the creature and spilled onto the grass floor. Fives pulled out a signal flare and looked at Rex, who yelled, "Torch the bastard!"

"What about the dogs?"

"Screw the dogs! Torch it!"

Vindi screamed, "Wait! NO!" He tried to knock the flare from Fives grasp, but was restrained by Echo. Fives ignited the flare and threw it into the puddle of fuel. Flames sprung up immediately, the Thing releasing a savage, hideous screeching as it was burned alive. Part of the kennel caught on fire. Fox yelled, "We're on fire! Put it out!"

One of the dogs, somehow fused to the creature, wailed as flames consumed it. The Thing shriveled up in the corner, being slowly consumed by the increasing fire. The screeching slowly dieing. The other three dogs yelped as their fur caught on fire, flailing and rolling in the straw as they tried to escape the blaze.

Vartan and Fox jumped into the kennel, spraying both the dogs and the burning walls with fire extinguishers. Dogs and men coughed and choked on smoke and CO2.

The screeching lessened, the gurgling and hissing faded. Rex stood horrified at what he had just seen. Kix slowly approached Cutup, still gasping for breath on the ground, bleeding badly from the gaping hole in his stomach. Kix turned away and stumbled out the door, vomiting in the snow.

Vindi slowly, tentatively, entered the kennel and crouched, inspecting the now-burned Thing. It still smoldered in one or two spots, unmoving. _Dead._ He turned and glared at Rex, "You killed it. You have no idea what you've done."

"You're fucking welcome, Doctor." He turned his back on Vindi.

Cody turned to Vindi, "There's still the thing that broke through the roof. I agree with Rex, it must be killed."

"You don't know what you're killing!"

Rex, Fives, and Echo ignored the argument and knelt beside Cutup, who was fading with each breath. Rex, tears in his eyes, said, "What happened Cutup?"

Cutup coughed, spitting out blood, "The dog came… came back to life. I don't know how. It was dead, but it reanimated. Like a… like a zombie." He clutched Rex's arm and pulled his CO close, "I'm… I'm sorry, sir. Kill the bastard."

Rex nodded, "We will." He looked at Fives and Echo, who both nodded at each other with grim determination. They spoke in unison, "We will."

"Thank you, sir. That's all… all I ask. It's been an honor, sir." Cutup went limp, and Rex sat back on his heels, silent.

The Rangers got to their feet, a silent anger shared between them. Whatever this creature was, it had killed one of their own. Fives shouldered his assault rifle, "Payback time."

 **Well now one has died and the main Thing is still on the loose. Stupid Thing! Why'd you have to go and kill him and those dogs!**

 **Ah well, there should be a bit more action coming up in the next chapter. No promises on when I'll update but stay tuned!**


	8. Chapter 7: Greenhouse

**Hello my friends! Before we begin, I have an incredibly important polling question so PLEASE READ THE BOLD TEXT BEFORE THE CHAPTER!**

 **I'm trying something incredibly new here, using words from the Predator/Yautja language. I was hung up on this whether to include this or not for a while, but I finally decided to just give it a whirl and see what you all think. My plan for now is to only use words from the Predator language during scenes from the Predator's POV, anything from a human POV will be in regular English (or Russian). And don't worry, I've provided a key for all words in... Predator? Predatese? Yautjese? Well whatever it should be called, their meanings are labeled here in the opening.**

 **My polling question is: Should I A) Keep using Predator words in the future or B) Consider this a one-time experiment and stop using Predator words.**

 **Also, I have great news! Predator fight scene incoming! Not as spectacular as one that I'm preparing for the end of the Peary Station arc, but still there's a Predator vs. Thing fight in this chapter.**

 **And again, feel free to comment/review and I'll get back to you.**

 **Achilles453 -** Well all the deaths have to start somewhere, don't they? Not all the dogs are dead, that would just be too cruel for them to get burned alive, even for me. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, and I hope you love this one as well!

 **Jayfeathers Friend -** Strange, you just mentioned three of my favorite horror movie monsters (I've never seen It so I can't comment on Pennywise). For me, the Predator takes the top spot as it was the first movie I saw out of the three. And speaking of Predators, I hope you love the Predator scenes in this chapter!

 **teresa. spanics -** I don't like the 1951 movie as much as the 1982 film, but I still enjoy watching it. I just feel that the uncertainty the 1982 film creates in who is human and who is not is more suspenseful and gripping than the hulking Frankenstein-like alien in the 1951 film. That doesn't mean I don't think it's a great movie (because it is), I just love John Carpenter's film more. There'll be another of my favorite scenes from the 1951 film that I'm changing slightly and incorporating into this chapter. Oh, and not all the dogs are dead, they'll come into play later.

 **Language Note: Words written in _italics_ will be words from the Predator language. Here's a key for the ones that will be used here:**

 **- _ooman_ : **human

 **- _ky'var:_ **hunt

 **- _r'ka:_ **Xenomorph

 **- _nain-desintje-de:_ **absolute victory

 **- _dah'kte:_ **Wristblades

 **- _ki'cti-pa:_ **Combistick

 ** _sivk'va-tai:_** Plasmacaster

 **- _kha'bj-te:_** maniac

 **- _sain'ja:_** hunter

 **- _kv'Vurj-de:_** Energy Flechette

 **Rather long pre-chapter spiel, huh?. Enough of my ranting and onto the action!**

 **Peary Station, February 7, 2340 Hours**

Rex, Fives, and Echo stormed through the hallways back to the radio room. Rex pounded on the door, surprising both Selda and Hevy inside. Hevy opened it and Rex said one thing, "Common room, now." before he turned away. The rest of the group followed the angry Rangers.

Once inside, Rex turned to face everybody. Everyone except Hardcase, Kaedan, and the deceased Cutup were present and Rex faced them all down. "Fives, Echo, go get Hardcase and Ms. Larte." The two sergeants nodded and left, Rex continued. "No more room for arguing, that thing killed Cutup, one of our own, we kill it."

Vindi opened his mouth to protest but Rex's icy glare stopped him cold. Rex turned to Fox, "What weapons do you have here?"

Fox shrugged, "In the case of firearms, we have two M16 rifles for myself and Boil, a shotgun used by Waxer, three M1911s, along with the various ammunition for them."

"What about incendiaries?"

"We have kerosene, aviation fuel, a couple flare guns and one flamethrower, received second-hand from the Army. Pretty banged up but it's still functional."

Rex nodded, "Boil, Waxer, go get it." Said soldiers ran off to get it. Rex turned to the rest of the group. "We killed the thing in the kennel, but we still have the other one to deal with, the one that escaped. We'll split into groups of three, myself, Cody and Hevy will investigate outside on the North side with Hevy's M79 grenade launcher." Cody hummed approval, a lust for vengeance in his eyes. "When they get back, Echo, Fives, and Hardcase will canvas the South side with the flares and some kerosene. Fox, I'd like you, Boil, and Waxer to sweep the inside of the building, use the flamethrower if nessessary." Fox simply nodded, it seemed Cutup's death "Ahsoka, you and Kix will be in charge of the other civilians. Stay in here with the doors locked until we come back and stay on your toes." Ahsoka saluted quickly, while a still shocked Kix simply nodded.

Vindi fumed, "You mean to kill it. Exterminate it. Captain, you're just a grunt. Uh... no offense."

"None taken." Rex deadpanned, eyes betraying the low regard in which he heard the doctor.

"I'm sorry but you can't just arbitrarily kill it off into extinction!"

Rex shrugged, "Watch me."

Boil and Waxer walked in, an old beaten-up flamethrower in their hands and two flare guns tucked into their belts. Rex tossed one of the flare guns to Ahsoka, who caught it with one hand. She had clearly used a flare gun before, no surprise considering she was a pilot.

All Rex had to do now was wait until the rest of his squad was here, it shouldn't take long.

 **-0-**

Fives and Echo jogged through the corridors, they wanted to get out after that thing right away. Cutup had been a member of their original squad, along with Hevy. The four of them had been you're ordinary run-of-the-mill Green Berets out of Ft. Bragg under the codename "Domino Squad" when their company CO Jim Hopper had an old friend to the barracks. Hopper's old friend had been an officer in the Army Rangers, the legendary Captain Rex. Rex already had quite a reputation as a military adviser in Vietnam, where he had taken command of a South Vietnam Army platoon when an ambush had left it leaderless. Rex held off the Viet Cong nearly single handed and allowed the platoon to retreat, securing his promotion to Captain and winning him the Medal of Honor. He came to Ft. Bragg looking for fresh meat for the Rangers, and Hopper had invited him to inspect Domino.

Rex had been incredibly impressed by Domino Squad and requested Hopper to transfer them immediately to his squad in the 501st Ranger Battalion, which was under the command of the mythic General Anakin Skywalker. Nearly four straight years of fighting the Viet Cong had followed, and Rex's squad had only lost one man, a Domino member they had jokingly nicknamed Droidbait, so called because of his somewhat robotic method of speaking and tendency to draw the heaviest enemy fire. The rest of Rex's squad, Rex, Fives, Echo, Cutup, Hevy, Hardcase, and Kix had survived at least a hundred firefights and fought tooth-and-nail in Hue during the Tet Offensive, and now Cutup had been killed by a fucking _space alien_!

They now had to reach Hardcase so they could go on the offensive, but rounding the final turn to the greenhouse, they halted in their tracks. Stumbling towards them was Kaedan Larte, a large nasty-looking purple bruise on her forehead. She saw them and mumbled, "In the greenhouse... the Thing."

Kaedan collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

 **-0-**

The door in the common room was flung open and everyone spun to find Echo and Fives carrying someone in. Ahsoka screamed in horror as she saw who it was. "Kaedan!"

Vartan pulled her away from the sight and wrapped his arms around the Navy pilot.

Fives and Echo placed Kaedan on her back as Barriss broke out some smelling salts, putting them under Kaedan's nose. Rex turned to Hevy, who had his grenade launcher in hand. "Hevy, get out there and watch that corridor."

Kaedan stirred and Barriss placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, "Easy, Kaedan, easy. It'll be alright."

Vartan knelt down to the girl he had raised and considered a daughter, "Kaedan, what happened?"

She drew in a deep breath, "Hardcase and I were in the greenhouse, we had heard something. A tapping against the wall or something like that... I don't remember. We heard gunfire, then a blast of cold air hit me and I heard Hardcase scream. When I turned, the Thing struck at me, but Hardcase pushed me out of the way. I hit my head on the floor and I think it hit Hardcase in the shoulder. He recovered and started firing, yelling for me to run. I was dizzy, and rolled under one of the tables. The sound from elsewhere drowned us out I think. I think Hardcase got out and I heard the Thing coming for me. I ran and slammed the door... ow, my head." She raised an arm to touch her forehead.

Rex asked, "Is it still there?"

Kaedan drowsily responded, "I don't know, the doors were both closed when I ran into Fives and Echo. Hardcase is out there still."

Rex looked to the others, "Hevy, Fives, Echo on me. Bring the flamethrower. Fox, is there another way in?"

Fox answered, "A small maintenance passage from the generator room."

Rex nodded, "Take Cody and the flare gun with you. I don't want it getting out of our grasp. Boil and Waxer, stay here with Kix and Ahsoka. Our visitor is back and is dangerous."

Fox squinted at him, "Rex, the greenhouse also has a rear door. Also accessible through the greenhouse. It could get outside."

Rex sighed, "Alright, Hevy, you and Waxer get to the outside door and make sure it doesn't escape. Also try to find Hardcase."

Waxer saluted, "Will do, sir!"

 **-0-**

Waxer and Hevy exited through the generator room and skirted the outside of the building. Hevy carried his M79 grenade launcher while Waxer carried an Ithaca 37 shotgun. They could barely see through the darkness and driving snow, only the small illumination of a flare. Hevy called out, "Hardcase! Where are you?"

Nothing responded. Waxer led the way to the greenhouse door, feeling his way along the corrugated iron wall. Nearing it, they abruptly halted, a figure lay face down in the snow. Nearing it, they could clearly discern that it was a body. Waxer rolled the body to be met with Hardcase's face, the thermal gear ripped and shredded, a nasty slash soaking the tattered parka in red blood.

Hevy swore under his breath. Rex had told him about what had happened to Cutup, now Hardcase was clinging to life. He turned to Waxer, "Take him back. I have business to attend to." Waxer nodded, knowing what Hevy was referring to. "Be careful." Waxer started pulling Hardcase back across the ice. Hevy watched them go, then approached the greenhouse door. Hevy noticed the lock had been bent out of place, then heard a burst of gunfire. He had to avenge his fallen brother-in-arms. Hevy raised his grenade launcher and kicked open the door.

 **-0-**

Rex watched them leave and then motioned for Echo and Fives to follow him. They got to the greenhouse junction and advanced slowly towards the greenhouse door. Fives quipped, "You owe us all a beer after this is over Captain."

Rex stalked up to the door, ignoring Fives' comment, and placed his ear against it. He could hear something moving around in there. Rex turned to Echo, who held the flamethrower, while Fives carried an M16. "Are you ready Echo?"

"No, but go ahead and open it sir." Echo took a position right in front of the door to move in, Fives covering him with his M16.

Rex slowly pulled on the door handle and it jerked it open.

Standing in front of them was something out of a nightmare. A hard shell like a beetle, a gaping mouth full of teeth, and those multiple bulbous eyes stared at him. The Thing swung its arm out at the startled Echo, who ducked, the arm missing and slamming into the doorframe. Rex slammed the door shut, but the Thing's arm was in the way. The door closed on the arm, and the Thing struggled to wrench itself free as the Rangers struggled to close the door. The Thing forced its hand back through the door jamb, its thorny clusters of horn on the hand sending wooden splinters flying as both Rex and Echo held the door shut. They backed away, Fives unleashing half a clip of ammunition through the door.

The door bulged as the Thing slammed against it, a crack forming in the center. Rex yelled to Echo, "Get ready to torch it!" The Thing slammed against it again and the door cracked in half down the middle. The Thing burst through into the narrow corridor and Echo unleashed a torrent of flame from the battered flamethrower. The Thing screeched as it was engulfed in fire and quickly retreated.

An explosion occured behind it, courtesy of Hevy's grenade launcher, and the Thing roared in pain as the explosion blew a hole in its shell on its back, shrapnel tearing through the body. No blood came from the burning Thing as Fox and Cody squeezed through the maintenance passage and opened fire with rifles and the flare gun. Echo ran through the broken door and unleashed another jet of flame. The Thing knew it was surrounded and turned to run for the outside door. Hevy had reloaded and fired again at the charging alien, but the Thing had flung out a burning arm, smashing into Hevy's side and sending the Ranger flying into a wall as the grenade exploded in the ceiling.

The Thing burst into the freezing cold of the outside, running for a snowbank to vanquish the flames that were crisping its outer shell. Rex, Cody, Fives, and Echo took the grenade launcher and ran outside after it, leaving Fox to carry the unconscious Hevy back to the common room.

 **-0-**

 **Outside Peary Station, February 8, 1970, 0010 Hours Local Time**

The two Predators had trekked through the driving snow and ice from the crashed ship towards the _ooman_ outpost. They had sighted this on their way over, and it was logical that this would be where the _oomans_ would take it. They had an alien to kill and an evil plan to stop. The cold and snow had aggravated them slightly, as Predators preferred to be in warm, more tropical climates, but both _Guan-thwei_ and _Bakuub,_ known better in the _ooman_ tongue as Nightblood and Straight Spear respectively, had completed their rite of passage on Bouvet Island on this planet many years prior and had since gone on many _ky'var_ and killed many _r'ka_ and other prey. Heck, they had even killed a couple of the so-called "Super Predators." But this was different, this time they were after the most dangerous prey of all. The prey that could fight back even more than the _r'ka,_ one that could infect and become you. A Predator had to kill this prey without even being scratched or they would have to enact the self-destruct device on their wrist gauntlet. And this hunt must achieve _nain-desintje-de_ , an absolute victory, or else their mission would fail.

A red form could be seen against the greenish-yellow of a structure, one of the _oomans_. He went into the structure, and there was a flash of heat before a larger figure, glowing white-hot in the Predator's thermal vision, burst out through the door. It was obviously on fire, and was much bigger than the previous _ooman._ It was trying to escape the base and could only be one thing, their prey. Nightblood nodded to Straight Spear and they activated their weapons. Nightblood activated his _dah'kte,_ which slid out of his gauntlet with a click, and Straight Spear pulled out his weapon of choice, the _ki'cti-pa_ , sometimes known as the Combistick. Nightblood's _dah'kte_ had the function of shooting out a third, center blade like a projectile, and it was coated and filled with a yellow acid-like substance.

The burning Thing approached them, running blindly through the snow on fire, attempting to put it out. The three lasers of Straight Spear's targeting system traced it. The Thing noticed the three red dots on it and turned in to be met in the face with a blast from Straight Spear's _sivk'va-tai_ , mounted on his shoulder. The plasma blast blew the Thing to the ground and the two Predators advanced with a practiced ease, thought it was different with only two of them, as their compatriot had unfortunately been killed by the damn _kha'bj-te_ that had brought the Thing to this planet.

The Thing got up and punched out a burning arm at Nightblood, but the skilled _sain'ja_ deflected the blow with his _dah'kte,_ and fired a burst from his _kv'Vurj-de_ , severing the arm from the Thing's body. Straight Spear thrust forward with his Combistick, impaling the Thing through the side on its tip. The Thing retaliated by swinging its other burning limb at the Predator, but the Predator ducked and fired another plasma bolt from his _sivk'va-tai_. The blast blinded the Thing momentarily and Nightblood raised his arm at the Thing's chest, firing the large center blade from his _dah'kte_. It penetrated deep into the Thing's chest before bursting. The yellow acid-like substance began eating away at The Thing from the inside out and it made one last desperate attempt to survive. A large tentacle burst from the decaying beetle-like shell and struck Straight Spear's mask, cracking it.

Straight Spear jumped back and Nightblood swung his _dah'kte_ down through it, slicing the tentacle in half. One half dropped to the snow, but grew arachnid-like legs and scuttled towards the staggering Predator. Straight Spear responded by whipping out a vial of the yellow liquid, throwing it on top of the arm. The vial burst and the centipede-like Thing began to melt into the snow as the acid ate away at it. The severed arm had burnt to a crisp, but Nightblood dropped some of the acid onto it anyways, melting it away.

The main Thing clawed at its body desperately, and split in half. The lower half continued melting as the yellow acid ate away, but the other half tried to escape, growing a set of spider-like legs. Nightblood's laser system tracked the smoldering, scuttling alien, and locked on. A bolt from his own _sivk'va-tai_ hit it in the head, stopping its movement. Nightblood took out another vial of the yellow liquid, and threw it onto the motionless Thing. The Thing gave one last dying screech into the wind as the two Predators heard distorted footsteps approaching. Turning, they saw four red forms approaching, cradling _ooman_ weapons. Nightblood turned to Straight Spear who nodded, and the Predators disappeared from sight as they cloaked.

 **-0-**

Rex ran through the snow following the Thing's footprints. Behind him were Cody, Fives, and Echo. They could faintly see the blazing outline of the Thing through the driving snow, and they struggled to catch up with it, Echo most of all because he held the heaviest weapon: the flamethrower. It was pitch black out, the only light coming from a flare held by Fives and Rex's flashlight. Suddenly though, a flash of blue light slammed into the blazing Thing, and it seemed to enter into a scuffle. More flashes of blue dotted the horizon before the Thing screeched horrifically, dropping to the ground.

The soldiers neared, only to find a melting Thing at their feet. The snow and ice around them clearly indicated that a fight had taken place, and the remnants of the Thing were coated in some kind of yellow liquid. Fives tentatively poked the decaying cadaver with his weapon, only to have the muzzle of his rifle sizzle and melt as the strange yellowish liquid corroded through it. He looked up at Rex, "Acid?"

Rex looked over at Cody, who nodded hesitantly, "Yeah, I'd say so. But what just happened here?"

Rex looked down at the dead alien at their feet. A couple limbs lay on the snow severed and the head and upper torso of the Thing had detached, all of them coated with the same, strange acid-like substance. Rex somberly spoke, "I guess we're not alone here. Take a few pictures of it, then burn the rest."

The rest of the soldiers looked around them, trying to see through the growing blizzard as the flash of Cody's camera combined with the reddish glow of the flare. They were stranded here by the blizzard with something else obviously on the loose. Rex started to walk back to the greenhouse as the snow was lit up behind him with the whoosh of the flamethrower. Things had just gotten a lot more complicated.

 **Well there we have it, both Things have been killed, but obviously someone is infected (or else I wouldn't have a story here, right?).**

 **I'm curious as to you're first impressions of my two initial Predators: Guan-thwei (Nightblood) and Bakuub (Straight Spear). Bonus points if you can correctly guess what the yellow acid the Predators use is!**

 **Feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments or via PM.**

 **And of course no Thing-fic would be complete without an autopsy scene, which will show up next chapter.**


	9. Chapter 8: Autopsy

**Again, I'm sorry for taking so long. I've recently been binge-watching the Scream MTV series, and I almost completely forgot about this. Oh, and not to mention I'm super hyped for the Halloween movie that releases on October 19 (I'm obsessed with WAY too many movie franchises and genres).**

 **Now it's time for the mandatory autopsy scene in every Thing-fic. I hope you enjoy it!**

 **Achilles453 -** Oh boy are these Predators in for a treat when I get around to writing the final confrontation of this arc, it contains a three-way fight between humans, Predators, and the Thing. I'm glad you're loving the story and hope you enjoy this as well!

 **teresa. spanics -** Keep in mind that the Thing killed by the Predators was disoriented and burning to death. Just imagine a fight with a Thing at the top of its game! (Hint: That'll appear sometime soon)

The question of uncertainty vs straight forward is a matter of personal preference. In my opinion, the essence to all great horror is the fear of the unknown. The fear of the unknown, who is human and who is alien, is always present in the 1982 version after the crew of Outpost 31 discovers that one or more of them is assimilated. I also prefer the uncertainty factor because it makes the audience think, and I believe that that is another of the key cornerstones to a horror movie. In fact, this is why the moon monolith scene from 2001: A Space Odyssey is so terrifying, it gives me chills every single time I watch it because it makes me think. If you haven't seen it, I insist that you check it out on YouTube as I believe it to be one of the best horror scenes ever made.

Then again, I also tend to overly analyze every movie I watch, and the uncertainty present in the 1982 film enables me to do that, but that's just my personal preference. They're both great movies, and I love watching the 1951 film because it _is_ a great horror film. I just like the 1982 version a little bit more.

 **Jayfeathers Friend -** Maybe I should have made it a bit more ambiguous as to what the acid was. Yes, it is xeno blood. Idea creds go to the Wolf Predator from AvP: Requiem (which was a horrible movie, but it had a great Predator in it). I'm so glad you liked my Predators! As for the names of my Predators, the names were on the Yautja language page on Xenopedia so I decided to use them.

 **Again, all italics are Predator words or Predators talking to each other (because I am not fluent in Predatese... Yautjese... whatever it is).**

 **Predator Language Key:**

 _\- ooman:_ human

 _\- yin'tekai:_ honor

 _-mei'hswei:_ brother

 _\- Dahdtoudi:_ Little Knife (Name of another Predator, deceased)

 _\- Dhi'ki-de:_ The Long Sleep (basically death)

 _\- Ki'sei:_ I understand

 _\- C'nlip:_ Intoxicating Yautja beverage (so Predator alcohol)

 **Predator Body Language:**

\- Head cocked to one side: Curiosity

\- Mandibles flared: Anger

\- Head and eyes lowered: Submission

\- Head bowed: Mourning/Grief

\- Rapid mandible clicking: Deep amusement/laughter

 **-0-**

 **Peary Station Medbay, February 8, 1970, 0030 Hours**

The medical room at Peary Station was flooded with more activity than it had ever been. The corpse of the Thing from the kennel was laid out across a slab, a tarp covering it, with the other three dogs sprawled on various tables across the room. A black body-bag lay in one corner, Cutup.

Vindi fumed as he stood next to the charred corpse of the alien from the kennel. Looking around the room, he saw Barris and Ahsoka going from dog to dog patching them up. Each dog was badly wounded, their fur and skin was shredded, one had a few 5.56mm rifle rounds in it from an M16. One howled in pain and began thrashing until Hevy and Ahsoka could hold it down. The Rangers' medic, what was the name... Kix? was attending to the injured man, Vindi thought he caught the nickname Hardcase.

Vindi looked up as Vartan came in, Kaedan trailing behind him with a tray of surgical tools and a notepad to take notes on the autopsy. Fox stood in the doorway observing, Vindi would need to have a talk with him and the SEAL Commander Cody soon. Cody and that damned meddling special forces officer Captain Rex stood in another corner looking at the pictures Cody took out in the snow. The other base crewmembers were either in the radio room or the common room, getting food or coffee for the others.

Vindi had heard about what happened out on the ice, and it was very intriguing. Rex believed there was something else out there, because they saw flashes of blue light and found signs of a scuffle and the remains of the Thing, it having been melted by some kind of acid. Perhaps this wasn't a wasted trip after all.

Vartan put on some surgical gloves, "Are you sure about this?"

Vindi nodded, "I'm sure we are all aware of the value of this discovery. This could be the first and only time mankind has been visited by an alien life form and, as a scientist, I'm obliged to study it."

An obnoxious voice snapped at Vindi, "Your desire to study it resulted in this whole goddamned mess!" Vindi turned to see Rex glaring at him. Rex spoke again, "I think you should just burn the rest of that."

Vindi snapped back, "Haven't you contributed enough to this endeavor?" He glared at the man who'd destroyed his only chance to reason with this creature. "We need to learn as much as we can from this creature! To understand why it acted the way it did."

Cody barked at Vindi, "We don't need to carve it up to see why it killed Cutup! We all saw it."

"You can't trust what you saw! For all we know, the Thing may have been trying to communicate with your friend. Or it may have been reacting defensively. We must understand its biology." He turned to Fox, "Let me do my job Commander! It's why you called me up here."

Fox nodded from the doorway, and Rex glared at him. "Yeah, well now I'm about to do my job."

"What is that? Some type of threat, Captain?"

Rex shrugged, "Take it how you want. But hear this, I am going back to Eielson AFB as soon as the storm breaks to report this mess. You've got a limited amount of time before this whole place is under investigation." Rex made for the door, followed by Fives, Echo, and Hevy, brushing past Fox as he went.

Vindi smirked, what Rex didn't know was that any investigation would do nothing. Vindi and Washington would see to that.

Vindi threw the tarpaulin of the table. The people standing around the room stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the Thing on the examination table. An uneasy quiet hung over the room. Vindi stood in silent awe, standing over the badly burnt corpses of the interlocking creatures that lay before him on the table. The corpse resembled a pile of charred leather with plate-like segments of broken sealskin over what could be a torso, the entire torso cracked and peeled as if its innards were trying to burst out. The dog was conjoined and fused to the Thing, as if its own limbs were leashes; the dog near unrecognizable.

Odd appendages, like the arachnid leg that attacked Cody and the tentacle that killed Cutup, had been withered and had recoiled from the flames were wrapped grotesquely around the two animals.

Kix sat in shock, staring at the creature with his eyes set in a glassy stare. The revived Hardcase tried to comfort him, the gash on his chest covered by a large bandage. "It's okay now, Kix. The Thing's dead. It's over. See?"

Kix gave him a slight smile, "I know. The Sergeants killed it. I saw."

"Right man, right."

Vartan, transfixed, hovered by the united creatures. Weighing. Thinking. A very worried look on his face. "Is this all of it?"

Kaedan nodded, "Yeah. We cleared the kennel out. That one dog, it's uh... attached somehow."

Vindi bent closer to examine the creature, "Vartan. Take a look at these fused ligaments between the... the Thing and your husky. The bone structure is... unique."

"They're fused together?"

Vindi smiled, "It's incredible."

Kaedan raised an eyebrow at him, "What?"

Vindi smirked, this was perfect! Well, almost perfect. It would have been perfect if those damned Rangers hadn't killed it. "It seems it wasn't consuming the dog. It was absorbing him."

Vartan exposed more bone using a pair of tongs, "Dr., look at this." He pointed at a certain section, "This here is alien bone structure, over here is canine. But in between, it's... hybrid. Like it was learning what our husky was on a genetic level."

Ahsoka looked uneasy, "For what purpose?"

Vartan shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe to copy them?"

Unseen by the others, Vindi's eyes darted around the room. He couldn't lose this corpse to the Rangers' paranoia, "Or maybe to better adapt to its new environment. We can't tell much from just a corpse."

Ahsoka did nothing but stare from the whimpering dog she was holding down, focusing on the malformed heads of the Thing. She was getting the feeling that something was wrong here... very wrong. She spotted something on a tray and picked it up, it looked similar to a .45 ACP round from a M1911. "What are these?" she asked.

Kaedan looked up, "We found them on the ground. Fired bullets."

Vartan mulled over it for a second, "So they punched through it?"

"Either that or it spit them out."

Vindi cut in, this was getting better by the second, "No, if they had punched through, they would be embedded in the wall. You didn't find any bullet holes in the wall did you?"

Vartan nodded, "Some, but not enough to count for all these."

Vindi smiled to himself, "Amazing." He drew a blood sample and placed it over the microscope. He continued speaking as he examined the blood. "The transformative property of this Thing... just incredible. Down even to its own blood."

Ahsoka regarded the blood on Vartan's surgical gloves with new concern. Vartan saw her gaze and peeled off his gloves, throwing them into the waste receptacle next to the table. Vindi smiled to himself, if only they knew what he knew.

Unseen by everyone, one of the limbs of the half-dissolved dog twitched. And then it relaxed, draping back over the lip of the table.

 **-0-**

 **0430 Hours...**

It was a restless night for everyone. Rex couldn't sleep at all, every time he closed his eyes, he would see Cutup dieing in front of him. So that's how he ended up sitting in the common room, cup of coffee in hand. The door opened and Ahsoka walked in. She also looked like she needed sleep, bags were slightly visible under her eyes.

Rex handed her another cup and she poured some coffee for herself, "Can't sleep either?"

"Yep. I'm just really freaked out about this whole mess."

Rex nodded, "I am too. Something doesn't add up."

Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at him, "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I believe the doctor is hiding something from us."

"Vartan would never do that!"

Rex chuckled darkly, "I wasn't referring to Vartan."

Ahsoka nodded slowly, "I feel it too. He's hiding something. He has to be. Vindi pulled Fox and Cody into there for some kind of secret meeting after everyone had left. Hell if I know what it was about. I mean, Vindi's still in there with his pet!"

Rex sighed, "And that's not the last of it. When we were out on the ice pursuing that... that Thing, we saw something happen. Bits and pieces of a battle. And when we got there, the alien was dead."

"Could it have been the cold?"

"No." Rex shook his head, "Impossible to know for certain what happened, but it was clear that the Thing was killed by something else. It had been melted by some kind of acid."

"Acid? Are you sure."

"Quite sure. Fives touched the muzzle of his rifle to the corpse, and it began to melt through the barrel."

Ahsoka let out a breath and sat back in her chair, "Wow... this is..."

"Bad?"

"Heh," Ahsoka laughed, "Yeah, you could say that. It is. Isn't it?"

Rex smiled sadly, "Yeah, it is. All I know is that there's something unearthly here. Something new and dangerous. I just hope it doesn't stay here, or if it does, that I can prevent any more of my friends from dieing."

 **-0-**

 **Peary Station Corridor, 0440 Hours...**

Unknown to both of the two _oomans_ in the next room, the cloaked Predator moved stealthily through the halls. Nightblood and Straight Spear had split up, coming in through the demolished doorway of the kennel. The canines had known something was there, coming in through the doorway, but they were scared. They didn't do anything except whine as the Predators passed. The inhabitants here were all asleep, except for three of them. When the path forked, Straight Spear had gone after one of them, and Nightblood had gone this way towards the two awake _oomans_. The Predators had to destroy any more evidence of the weapon here. It was too dangerous to be left intact.

Now, Nightblood stood outside a room that had two _oomans_ in it, one male and one female. Whether they had been infected by the weapon, he could not tell. Straight Spear had suggested just obliterating this camp from the face of the planet, but Nightblood had ruled against that. It would not be honorable to kill all these _oomans_ in their sleep, even if they were now a part of the weapon. Nightblood would stop the weapon, but he would do it his way. And if these _oomans_ had to die, he would do it to their face in an honorable fight.

A symbol illuminated the inside of his mask, a message from Straight Spear. Nightblood opened up his wrist gauntlet, and a message appeared in the Yautja language. Straight Spear had found the weapon.

Quickly and quietly, Nightblood moved through the halls, still cloaked. Nobody was in the halls, they were all sleeping, but it never hurt to be careful. He rendezvoused with Straight Spear at the door to what appeared to be some type of lab and looked inside. Sure enough, the _ooman_ was in there with the weapon behind him, heavily burned. From his eavesdropping on the two _oomans_ in the other room, Nightblood had learned that this guy's name was probably "Vindi."

Nightblood crept quietly into the room, and mimicked the voice of the female. "Vindi." It was a whisper, and the _ooman_ perked up, listening. Nightblood said it again, louder, "Vindi!"

The _ooman_ turned in surprise, and was met with a smack across the face from Nightblood's outstretched arm. The _ooman_ did not get up. Nightblood would not kill him, nor would Straight Spear. It would be interesting to see what happened next among the _oomans_ , and Nightblood wanted to observe how these _oomans_ fought.

But first, the weapon had to be destroyed. Nightblood took out a vial of the acid, refined from the blood of the _r'ka_ , and poured it over the Thing on the table. The Thing melted down, and Nightblood nodded to Straight Spear.

But Straight Spear just stared at him, he obviously needed to talk. Nightblood cocked his head to one side. _"What is it?"_ He asked.

 _"I follow your lead because you are my elder, in age and experience, but why?"_ Straight Spear replied.

 _"Why what?"_

 _"Why wait around when we can eradicate the weapon now? Surely, you aren't stupid enough to believe that that is the last of it!"_

 _"Of course I'm not!"_ If his mask were off, Nightblood knew that Straight Spear would have seen his mandibles flared in anger. _"Berserker brought it here because he was insane! He changed the weapon, modified it. We need to see how it_ operates." He gave a dismissive flick of the wrist. _"These oomans are nothing more than what they would term 'guinea pigs'. Let them kill it or die trying. If they fail, we kill it. If it escapes, we kill it. If they discover us, they die, but you will not forget your yin'tekai."_ Nightblood bowed his head, _"I know you mourn your mei'hswei. I do to. But do not join Dahdtoudi in Dhi'ki-de yet. We still have work to do."_

 _"Ki'sei."_ Straight Spear lowered his head and eyes in submission. His mandibles then clicked together, _"C'nlip's on you when this is done."_

Nightblood's mandibles began clicking together rapidly, and Straight Spear's did too. The Predators ignored the fact that one of the _oomans_ had awoken and moved to hover over another's sleeping form as they left the room, deep in laughter.

 **-0-**

 **Somewhere in Peary Station, 0445 Hours...**

The Thing rose from the bed its host had been using, now was the time to act. It had to spread now, or else it might be discovered and killed before completing its mission. Luckily, everyone in this room was asleep, but it sadly couldn't assimilate everyone, someone was bound to notice something and wake up. And then the Thing would be done for.

Now it had to choose someone that would be vital in spreading misinformation among the humans or crippling communications between them. It had a target in mind, and moved towards that bunk. Its arm began to morph and it covered its victim's mouth. The human's eyes snapped open in surprise and alarm, but he couldn't cry out for help. The Thing's hand melted into the human's face and forcibly assimilated the human, tendrils shooting from its palm down the human's throat.

The human struggled, but it was hopeless for him. The human's eyes rolled into the back of his head as the Thing continued its assault, until the human stopped moving all together. Its eyes snapped up and stared into the Thing's eyes and gave a slight nod. The Thing smiled at the newly-created Thing and withdrew its hand. It had a backup now, and could now continue to spread mayhem without fear of death.

 **-0-**

 **0630 Hours...**

Rex woke sharply, he was still in the common room, and found he had dozed off to sleep at the table he and Ahsoka had talked at in the night. Speaking of which, he didn't see Ahsoka across from him. He heard a soft snore, and turned to see Ahsoka curled up on a couch behind him, still sound asleep. She looked calm, peaceful. The others should be waking up soon, so Rex decided to walk over and wake her up. He shook her gently on the shoulder, and Ahsoka made a sound of protest. "Five more minutes, sir?"

Rex chuckled. That was, until Rex heard a couple feminine shrieks, then pounding footsteps nearing him before the door was flung open. Rex whirled to see an incensed Vindi in the doorway, holding a Colt Detective Special snub-nosed revolver. He yelled, "You bitch!" and leveled the gun at Ahsoka. Rex dove for the gun and his hand hit it as Vindi fired. The bullet flew wide, blowing out a light above them.

Vindi managed to get away from the tired Ranger and aimed at Ahsoka again. Running could be heard in the hallway and several people burst into the room. Fives pulled out his M1911 pistol and yelled, "On the ground now!"

Vindi just glared daggers at Ahsoka, "You bitch! Why'd you do it."

Ahsoka, the stupor of sleep left long behind, threw her arms in the air, "Do what?"

"You attacked me in the lab didn't you? I bet the Captain over there ordered you to like a good little soldier, huh?"

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Ahsoka shouted at him, "I never went near the lab!"

Rex put his hands in front of him, trying to talk Vindi down, "Calm down Dr. Ahsoka was here with me in the common room last night."

"Shut up Captain!" Vindi turned to point the gun at him, "Back to the wall." The mad doctor ordered.

Rex slowly retreated, Vindi had a bead on him and Rex wasn't sure if Vindi would shoot or not if he made a move. Vindi smirked evily, turning back to Ahsoka, who also couldn't draw her weapon. "I know it was you. It was your voice calling my name before I got knocked out and woke up to find it ruined. You idiot. You just signed your own death warrant."

Every Ranger in the room who was armed was pointing a gun at Vindi, but he didn't seem to care that they had each chambered a round. Rex was trying to defuse the situation, as was Cody.

Ahsoka focused on the hand holding the gun, more importantly the finger on the trigger. She saw the muscles tense, and start to squeeze, and every hand-to-hand combat lesson Anakin had taught her came into play. She dove to the ground, the bullet flying over her head. Ahsoka rolled into a crouch and lunged towards him as three more shots rang out, but not from Vindi. Vindi was hit in the arm and knee as Ahsoka grabbed his arm, slamming it down into her knee. The gun flew out of Vindi's hand and she sweeped his wounded legs out from under him. Vindi ended up on the ground, flipped on his stomach, arms pulled behind his back, bleeding profusely the entire time. The doctor had no chance against the savvy, and deadly, pilot and several heavily armed Rangers.

Ahsoka smirked evily at him as Fives, Echo, and Hevy lowered their weapons. "Well now Doctor, perhaps now you'd like to tell us what happened? Oh, and don't forget to mention why you just tried to kill me."

 **So someone else has been assimilated, the Predators have destroyed the kennel-Thing, and Vindi has gone off the deep end.**

 **As always, let me know your thoughts and any suggestions on what you want to see. I may include them in the future.**


	10. Chapter 9: Vindi and the Dogs

**Hi all! Just an FYI, the first part of this chapter jumps back a few hours to before Vindi's meltdown. Also, the surviving dogs come into play at the end of this chapter and will be the focus of the next. Some major beloved characters are going to die soon, so I understand it if you get pissed off at me. That's fine, just please don't send any hate mail.**

 **Oh, and also completely unrelated, watch Halloween 2018, it is amazing! (Unless you don't like slasher films, then don't. I'm just too crazy about too many movie franchises and genres. Especially when it comes to John Carpenter films.)**

 **Again, feel free to review/comment if you'd like and I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

 **SirLoozeElite -** Oh yes, everything will go wrong. That's a sure bet. I'm trying to flush out a little bit of Vindi's character and motives in this chapter, so that should answer that. The Thing has obviously assimilated... President Palpatine! Wait, that's impossible. Stupid Thing not letting us know who it's attacked. I did put a slight hint in as to who was assimilated when listing why the Thing chose its target. And no, it is never wrong to root for the Predators. They're just too awesome to root against.

 **Jayfeathers Friend -** As for Predator relationships, there were three of the classic Jungle Hunter Predators to start: Nightblood, Straight Spear, and Straight Spear's younger brother Little Knife. Little Knife was killed, and I'll explain why in good time. Let's just say that Straight Spear is in grief because his brother was killed, and that plot point will come up in the future at the end of this arc. A bit of what happened to Vindi is included in the beginning, and his motives are finally revealed.

 **teresa. spanics -** Apologies if I got a little ranty in my response last chapter, I can get that way sometimes. And if the last chapter was starting to get intense, just wait for the end of this arc! I'm trying to move it into some unpredictable territory that will be entirely unexpected as to what will happen. It'll be a blast to write! (pun intended) I'll give you an unlimited number of guesses as to what happens and who takes part. I will give you a free Hammerhead corvette if you get it right (Note: This is 100% not a scam)!

 **killernooch -** Trust me, I wish I could favorite certain stories more than once myself. It's the thought that counts, right?

 **-0-**

 **Five Hours Earlier, Medical Lab, Peary Station, February 8, 1970, 0145 Hours...**

Vindi didn't turn as both Fox and Cody walked through the door into the med-lab. After all, he had called the two of them here to discuss... matters. Matters that had to be dealt with. Namely Captain Rex and his squad. Vindi was positive that Fox was still on his side, but the SEAL was a different story. Vindi knew that Cody was partially informed about what his role was, but Vindi needed to make sure that the SEAL was still following the plan. If he wasn't, well Vindi knew how to take care of the problem.

Cody spoke as Vindi turned to face him. There was no one else in the lab but the three men and the carcass on the table. "Why are we here Dr?" Cody said sleepily.

"You're here because we have something of importance to national defense to discuss." Vindi said in response.

Cody frowned, "If it involves national security, why isn't Rex here?"

"Because Rex is the issue." Vindi replied, arms akimbo. "His actions benefit the Soviets."

Cody's mouth dropped open. "What? No, that's impossible! The man's a war hero and I've fought with him many times. He'd never harm the US directly."

Fox was indifferent to Cody's concern, "He's not."

Vindi nodded, "Captain Rex certainly isn't harming the country directly. He's doing it indirectly." Vindi said as he pointed to the table with the carcass.

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Cody asked.

Vindi smirked and gave a low, almost evil chuckle. "My friend. It has to do with everything." Fox moved to stand behind Cody as Vindi continued speaking. "You see, this specimen is a perfect organism. It can imitate anything living, something as small as a bird, or as big as an elephant. It was copying our dogs, to look like them, and act like them. Think about the benefits to national security and espionage. Double agents that look and act exactly like the original, but they're ours. Saboteurs that we don't care if they're killed in action. Not to mention a formidable fighter, immune to modern bullets. Only vulnerable to flame or explosives."

"What are you saying?" Cody took a half step backwards, noticing Fox had stepped between him and the door. "That we should take this thing back to civilization? We don't know how dangerous that would be. It killed Cutup! It killed a man! It could escape and kill more people! Do you seriously think you would be able to tame it? Make it obey you? What if it's infectious? We could spread a space plague if we bring it back!"

Vindi smiled darkly, "Oh, you don't have to worry about making the decision over whether to bring it back or not. It's already been made. By me."

Cody narrowed his eyes at the scientist. "You're wrong. You don't have that kind of authority." He said firmly.

Vindi just laughed again, "Oh no, Commander. I fear that you will soon find out it is you who is mistaken." Vindi strode towards Cody menacingly. "I have the higher authority of the US government, not some idiot general who merely sent you here."

Cody chuckled, "So you're a spook, huh? Trying to get some nice specimen for The Company?"

"Oh no, I'm not CIA." Vindi smirked, "I am more than CIA or NSA. I am a part of the shadowy core of our country without which it would fail. I am the leader of the Other Worldly Life Forms Program. And I am given _carte blanche_ to do what I please in order to bring extraterrestrial life in for study and weaponization."

"You're a fucking egomaniac, that's what." Cody snarked. But he felt the cold barrel of a silencer press against the base of his neck, and he tensed. But the SEAL stood his ground, he had escaped worse situations. "So what? Are you going to kill me?" He asked calmly, trying to mask his inner fear.

Vindi again laughed. "I might. If you do what I tell you to, you live. If you refuse, you die. If you tip off Rex, you and him will both die." Cody narrowed his eyes as Vindi smirked and said, "The choice is yours."

 **-0-**

Cody gave a sigh of defeat. He was stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. What should he do? What _could_ he do? Fox would shoot him if he fought or ran. But he didn't want to betray Rex. Rex was one of his oldest friends and comrades. Cody would walk blindly into an ambush if he had Rex at his back. _That_ was the level of trust the two held between each other. The type of trust one only formed after years of fighting side by side. And if Cody was killed, Rex would surely investigate it and Vindi would have him killed.

Despondent, Cody asked. "What must I do?"

Vindi smiled, but Cody knew it was nothing but a facade. Fox withdrew the pistol from Cody's neck and reholstered it. "Excellent. Your job is to convince Rex to stay out of this mess, by any means necessary."

Cody was horrified. Did Vindi truly expect him to kill one of the best soldiers America had. "You want me to kill him?"

"Kill him. Restrain him. Negotiate with him. It matters not." Vindi replied as he shrugged. "What does matter is that he does not interfere. You may go now Commander." He held his arms akimbo as Cody began to leave. "And don't even try to tell anyone. Fox here is not my only agent. I will know if you do, and should you tip anyone off? Well..." He made a slicing motion across his throat and smirked as Cody turned on his heel and slammed the door behind him.

 **-0-**

 **0625 Hours...**

Vindi woke, he was flat on his face, some blood trickling from his mouth. He shook his head, trying to get his bearings, then he remembered. A voice, the pilot's voice, had said his name. Then when he had turned, someone stuck him across the face, knocking him out. Probably with the butt of a gun. He looked up at the table and the color drained even more from his extremely pale face.

The alien, the pure, sole reason he was here, was destroyed. What was once a carcass of conjoined dog and alien was now a smoldering pile of goop. His blood boiled. REX! The Ranger captain had to be behind this, but it wasn't Rex's voice he heard. It was the pilot's. Now why would the pilot do that? Vindi smiled evily to himself. He knew of ways to make people talk.

Quickly, the shadowy government agent reached into his travel bag and pulled out a Colt Detective Special revolver with pearl grips and a nickel finish. It was a nice, small, refined weapon that packed a punch. While not as strong as a .44 magnum or .45 ACP round, the gun's .38 special rounds were more than enough to do the job. He walked down the quiet hallway to the door to the women's dorm. The pilot should be in there with the other two female crew. They held no threat to him.

Vindi kicked the door open and both Kaedan Larte and Barriss Offee jumped up at the disturbance, both clad in sleepwear. They saw Vindi standing there, gun aimed ahead of him, and shrieked in fright before diving to hide. But Vindi's frustration only continued to mount. The damn pilot wasn't even in the room! Furious, he ignored the cowering women and stomped down the hallway towards the common room. The pilot would either be there, or in the hanger with the choppers.

Vindi reached the door. He twisted the knob and threw it open.

 **-0-**

 **A Few Minutes Later...**

Now Vindi lay on his chest, coughing up blood, with Ahsoka hovering above him. Cody watched the scene with some smug satisfaction. Rex stood off to the side, examining Vindi's gun. Rex looked at Vindi, "Nice piece. Looks expensive. Where'd you get it?"

Barriss gently shoved Ahsoka off the wounded doctor and started to dress his wounds. The doctor had been hit three times by Fives, Echo, and Hevy. Miraculously, none of the wounds was fatal or hit a vital organ or artery. Ahsoka pushed Barris out of the way and scoffed at Rex, "Fuck that. I want to know why this son of a bitch tried to shoot me just now." She grabbed Vindi by the neck and smacked his face forward into the floor. "Tell me!" She pulled out her pistol and jammed it into his temple. "Tell me you fucker or the last thing you see will be your brains splattered on the ground."

Fives chuckled at the angry pilot and looked up at Rex. "Remind me never to piss her off boss." Rex just facepalmed.

Cody opened his mouth, then saw Fox on the other side of the room with a smug smile on his face. Fox locked eyes and made a quick slash across his neck, unseen by the others. Cody immediately shut his mouth, aware of Vindi's still present threat. Fox's gaze drifted over to the crowd of people in the room. From his angle, Cody couldn't see who Fox was looking at but he was sure that he saw Fox give a slight nod.

Vartan walked in and looked at a still fuming Ahsoka, who was being pulled off Vindi by Echo and Hevy. "I think I know why."

A minute later, they stood in the medical station around the decaying remains of the Thing. Rex scrunched his nose and turned to Fives and Cody. "It smells like the one outside, doesn't it?"

Cody nodded and Fives merely said, "Yeah. It does."

Fox cleared his throat. "Vartan, I want you to examine whatever substance that is. Find out what did it to them."

Vardan nodded. "Right." He said.

Rex chimed in and said, "We believe it to be some type of acid."

"Acid?"

Fives finished by saying, "Yes sir. I touched the barrel of my rifle to the remains of the creature outside last night. Whatever liquid that yellowish stuff is, it began to eat through the metal."

Fox nodded, "Intriguing."

Just then, running footsteps came from the hallway and Waxer burst into the room. The others turned to look as Waxer panted. "The dogs..." He said.

 **-0-**

 **The Kennel, 0650 Hours...**

Empty. The kennel was empty right in front of them. A trail led out the damaged door into the snow. Cody examined the latch. "Doesn't look broken." He said.

Waxer nodded. "Yeah, door was wide open when I came in. But I locked it last night after we put the huskies back in there. I know I did."

Fox asked from the background, "All three of the surviving ones took off?"

"Not three." Fives said. "Two of them fled and dragged the third behind them."

"How long have they been gone?" Rex querried.

"Couldn't have been that long. I put them back in at about 0100 after Ms. Offee mended their wounds."

All the while, Rex had been writing something on a notepad. "They couldn't have gotten far in this weather." He said.

Fox looked at him incredulously. "You aren't seriously thinking of going out after them. Are you?"

"I _am_ going after them Fox."

"What the hell for? They'd die out there within a couple days! No food. Over 300 miles to the nearest base."

"Nearest US base maybe, but the Canadians' Tuktoyaktuk Station isn't too far from here. A couple days via snow tractor."

"He has a point Rex." Cody said as he got to his feet. "The choppers won't be able to fly in this weather."

Rex ignored them and handed a piece of paper to Echo. "Echo, I want you to get these things then meet me and Fives at the snowmobiles in the hangar."

Fox scratched his chin. "You're not going to catch those dogs with the start those things have. They're slow and sluggish Rex." He said.

Rex simply turned to Waxer and asked, "Waxer, you and Boil are mechanics here. How long would it take to strap on one of those big four cylinder carburetors I saw earlier on them?"

Waxer smiled, getting the idea. "Oh, I got you. Not too long."

Rex patted him on the back. "Good, now get started. Fives on me. Get your gear and Echo's."

As they left, Fox called after them. "What are you going to do with them if you do catch up?"

Echo finally looked down at the sheet of paper in his hands. "Shit!" He looked at Fox. "Whatever we're doing, we're not fucking around, sir. Look at this." Fox read the list, his eyes widening with every line. "Rex, you delusional son of a bitch." He sighed.

About half an hour later, Rex and Fives stood in the hanger door. Fives squeezed the trigger on the flamethrower. A fierce stream of flame burst out from the nozzle, flying 15 feet through the driving wind and snow. Boil stood behind them and clapped. His modifications had worked. "I can probably get another five or six feet out of it, sir." He said.

Rex shook his head, "It's good enough. We've got to get going soon."

Tinkering could be heard in the garage as both Waxer and Ahsoka finished up modifying the snowmobiles. Echo pulled a wheelbarrow into the hangar. A box of 40mm grenades stood out prominently above it all. Echo read off the list of items. "Alright. Box of grenades, three M16s, the flamethrower, a box of flares, one flare gun, thirty cans of gasoline, and a case of alcohol."

Rex nodded, "That should do it. Let's load em up."

After five minutes spent loading, the three Rangers were ready to go. Cody, Boil, and Waxer saw them off. Rex yelled to Cody, "Tell Hevy he's in charge of the squad until I get back. Watch Vindi, keep him restrained."

Cody nodded solemnly, "I'll do that." He chuckled, "The better idea would be to watch Airman Tano. I think she's tried to strangle him twice already since threatening to shoot him. Good hunting, old friend."

Rex nodded as the snowmobiles' engines roared to life and shot out into the snow. They had some dogs to catch.

 **A bit of a shorter chapter. Sorry. But hey, some action next chapter and another death(s).**


	11. Chapter 10: Suspicion

**Happy (belated) Halloween everyone! I wanted to get this out sooner, but then I lost some of the stuff I wrote and then decided to split this chapter into two. Then I had to spend a lot of time debating over which half should be posted first. I decided on posting this one now because I thought it would heighten the dread and anticipation of the next one. I'm sorry if I was wrong in my judgement, but I've learned as an umpire to live with my calls. Also,** **the identity of one Thing will be revealed just for you, my wonderful readers. It'll still be unknown to the characters. Just be warned that more people are going to die here.**

 **Oh, also completely unrelated, I just finished re-binge watching the first two seasons of the MTV series Scream. I loves this series so much when I first saw it, and I still love it. For any fans of horror films and slashers, I highly recommend checking it out. You'll thank me later.**

 **Achilles453 -** Sadly, Fox will not be the next one to die. I have other plans for him. I hope you love these next two chapters as well.

 **teresa. spanics -** What's with all the hate for Fox? He hasn't done anything bad yet except follow Vindi's orders. Good soldiers follow orders, right? Not all the dogs are Things, that'll be apparent in the next chapter, and I said that two of them ran off, dragging the third after them. As for who dies, read this and the next chpater and you will learn. And no, Rex and the guys don't meet the Predators down there, that meeting won't occur for a bit, but that doesn't mean that a Predator isn't there.

 **Jayfeathers Friend -** Trust me, you may hate Fox more in a little bit. How should Vindi die? Violently assimilated by the Thing he tried to profit off of? Shot multiple times by the humans then burned? Spine ripped out by a Predator? All of the above?

And Halloween 2018 was just amazing! I loved all the visuals they put in and the acting was top of the line. Jamie Lee Curtis just brought it with her performance, and I loved all the references to other films in the franchise. Even Halloween 3 had an easter egg, cause I noticed a pumpkin mask, skeleton mask, and witch mask. Am I the only one who loved Season of the Witch?

 **killernooch -** I'm so glad you feel that way! I hope you enjoy the action in the next two chapters as well.

 **-000-**

 **Peary Station, February 8, 1970, 1200 Hours**

It had been a few hours since Rex, Fives, and Echo had roared off into the storm after those dogs. Hevy sighed, leaning against the bar in the rec room as Selda made lunch for everyone. Vindi sat tied to a chair, his wounds bandaged by Barriss, and Kix stood guard over him. After all, Ahsoka had tried to stangle him a few times by now. Cody, Waxer, and Hardcase walked in, returning from burning the remains of the ruined Thing in the medlab.

Vartan and Kaedan were still in there, analyzing the acidic substance they found on the creature's remains. Hevy heard that it appeared to be a highly concentrated, highly corrosive acidic liquid. Where it came from, they didn't know. Hevy had tried interrogating Vindi with Fox, but Vindi remained stone faced. He would have to wait for Rex to get back, if he came back at all.

Ahsoka walked up to him, looking over at Vindi. "Why can't I be the one to interrogate him?"

Hevy laughed, "Maybe it's because you would try to strangle him to death again."

She looked around, a mischievous smirk on her face. "Maybe?" She sighed, "Please Hevy. Just a couple minutes."

Hevy shook his head, smiling. "Once Rex gets back then sure."

"I guess I'll have to wait till then, huh?"

"Yeah." Hevy sighed. But truth be told, the anxiety was eating him alive. Rex was gone to who knows where with Fives and Echo, two of Hevy's closest friends. He remembered their first mission under Rex. Domino Squad was tasked with setting up a listening post on a possible North Vietnamese supply route. They had been ambushed by Viet Cong. Droidbait had taken a bullet in the knee and Cutup had a lucky break when a guerrilla's AK-47 jammed. Cutup would have been surely killed if it hadn't. Captain Rex and Commander Cody, along with a squad from Cody's 212th SEAL Battalion, fought their way through to them from the command post. Now Hevy was the only remaining part of Domino left at Peary Station.

Ahsoka had left, gone to check out the chopper they flew here in. They still couldn't leave because of the weather, but that wouldn't deter her from giving herself something to do.

Hevy knew Cody's reputation, and the SEAL seemed to be an okay person. But Hevy knew that the SEAL knew something he didn't. There was something in Cody's eyes. Something that screamed fear and anger. Cody had a secret for sure, but then again, everybody did. Vindi held possibly the biggest secret of all. Ahsoka became suddenly tight lipped whenever Hevy tried to ask about how she knew Kaedan. And Fox was all sorts of mysterious.

Selda handed out lunch to everyone present. Hevy looked over to Hardcase, who was eagerly wolfing down the food. Hardcase had always hated K-rations, and took every opportunity to eat non-military food every chance he got. Hevy said, "Hardcase, grab someone and tell the others that lunch is served."

"Aw come on Hevy!" Hardcase whined like usual. "Why do I have to go get them?"

"Please Hardcase," Hevy sighed for what must be the millionth time, "Fine, forget it. Could someone go get them?"

"Fine Hevy. I'll go." Hardcase grumbled. "Sure." Someone else said and they both left the room.

 **-0-**

The Thing watched the human leave with another incarnation of itself. It now had at least three incarnations of itself here, and three of the humans had run off after the dogs. Oh, the dogs were such a good distraction, they managed to draw away the most formidable human and two of his subordinates. Hopefully, the Thing could run rampant now. The other humans filed in, telling the two named Cody and Hevy that the two others would be back shortly.

Out in the hallway, the Thing tensed. The human noticed this and asked, "What is it?"

The Thing replied, "I thought I heard something."

"What? What did you think you heard?"

"Something odd clunking or rattling. In there." It pointed at the generator room.

The human thought about it a second. "Could it be the wind? Or just the machinery?"

"I..." The Thing feigned uncertainty, "I don't know."

The human shrugged, "Let's check it out. If it's a malfunction we'll be in a bit of trouble."

The Thing nodded and led the way into the room. It was dark, and filled with the machine noises of the generator. The human followed, but the Thing's leg began to morph. A tentacle grew out of the ankle and pushed the door closed slowly with a creak. The human looked over in bewilderment, but it soon turned to shock and fear as the Thing opened its mouth and a flurry of tendrils shot out at him. They slammed into the human full force, ripping through clothing and skin. He tried to scream, his muffled cries drowned out by the sounds of the generator.

 **-0-**

Hevy looked up at the door as the two walked back into the room. "What kept you?"

Hardcase answered, "We thought we heard something in the generator room. It was just the wind against the roof."

The other nodded in agreement, "It gets pretty freakish at times."

Hevy nodded and went back to his food.

 **1645 Hours...**

It was pretty quiet the rest of the day, nothing much happened except for the storm continuing to blow overhead. Kix walked over to Hevy, "Fox says the weather should be like this for at least another day."

Hevy nodded, he didn't like being stuck here. "As soon as it clears, and once Rex gets back. We're leaving."

"Amen to that."

In the kitchen, Barriss was looking through the cabinets, trying to find a pot to begin cooking dinner. She often helped Selda when there wasn't anything for a medic to do. Vindi's condition was stabilized, assuming Ahsoka hadn't snuck by the guard and killed him. She smirked slightly, Ahsoka would always be that snippy pilot who didn't take any shit from anyone. Her smirk faltered when she got back to searching. "Where's that big steel pot? Damn." She turned to check the cabinets above the stove, but something else caught her eye. Something was hanging out of the kitchen's wastebasket. Disgusted, Barris pulled it out to reveal a torn and shredded pair of old long johns.

Everyone was gathered in the common room as Vartan and Kaedan gave their findings on the corrosive liquid found on the remnants of the Thing, and the creature itself. Vartan said, "We've analyzed the yellow substance. It is indeed an acid of some sort. It is incredibly concentrated and potent, that gives it its extraordinary corrosive power. But there's something else, it doesn't appear at all to be any acid we've seen before, in fact, it doesn't even look Earthly in makeup in any way, shape, or form."

Fox raised an eyebrow, "A space acid?"

Kaedan nodded, "Yes. It isn't too far fetched, seeing how we are dealing with a space alien here."

Vartan spoke next, "Thank you, Kaedan. It seems to be a weapon of some kind, as there are microscopic traces of explosive materials mixed with the acid as well. Very powerful, very deadly."

Hevy asked, "How powerful is it?"

Vartan answered solemnly, "Powerful enough to eat through the armor of a M48 Patton tank. 4 inches of steel and probably more."

Vindi seemed to sit up and he began to smirk. Ahsoka, who had managed to slink over next to him, punched Vindi in the head. Vindi scowled at her as she smirked sweetly at him, before Cody pulled her away from the doctor.

Hevy turned to Vartan. He asked, "There's something I don't understand. Where did it come from? Besides space of course, but how did it get here?"

Vartan shrugged, "It's not a part of the creature that's for sure."

Cody cut in, "I think I may know. When Rex, Fives, Echo and I chased after the creature on the ice, we saw it engaged in some battle of some sort. At least I think it was a fight."

A silence settled over the room. Waxer broke it, "Are you saying there's another alien on the loose. A different one?"

Unexpectedly, Hevy answered. "He's right."

"What?"

"When our team was sent to secure the crash site, we stumbled upon the camp of a Soviet special ops team. They had all been slaughtered, and there was a block of ice there. Something escaped from it. The carved out center of it was differently shaped than our visitor. Later, near the crash itself, Rex found evidence of a battle between something other than man. I feel there's another alien on the loose. One with lime green blood."

The implication instantly made the atmosphere twenty times heavier.

Ahsoka broke the silence this time, asking, "What about the creature in the kennel?"

Kaedan sighed, "I'm afraid of what we found. If what it says is true, then I fear we may be in much more trouble."

"What do you mean?"

Suddenly, Barriss burst into the room, Selda in tow. She was obviously pissed, something that was odd, considering how Barriss was usually one of the most serene people at the station. She held a bundle in her hand. She shook it in the air. "Which one of you dicks is leaving their dirty underwear in the kitchen trash? From now on I want the kitchen clean, you hear! Germ free!"

She threw it onto the table next to Cody, then stormed back into the kitchen with Selda. Cody picked up the strangely shredded garment, rolling it into a bundle again that he then tossed into the wastebasket across the room.

Vartan answered Ahsoka's question gravely, "Whatever this creature is, it is capable of changing its form. When it stumbled into the kennel and attacked our dogs, I guess it... digested or absorbed it. And then it began to shape itself accordingly. That would explain how Private Cutup claimed the dog came back to life, and the hybrid bone structure we found before it was destroyed."

"But that Thing that escaped, the one I shot, was no dog for sure." Ahsoka said. Other people murmured agreement.

"Of course not." Vartan shook his head. "When it was revived by the electric blanket, the Thing was probably disoriented, even more so once you shot it Ahsoka. It also might have realized it wouldn't last long in our atmostphere. But being the incredibly adaptive Thing it is, it tried to become something that could survive. Before we killed it. It appears to be a life form that is able to imitate and... for lack of a better word reproduce whatever it ate, digested, absorbed whatever, cell for cell." Seeing the looks of disbelief in the room, well except for Cody, Fox, and Vindi, those guys were hiding something. They knew something about this that they hadn't told anyone. Vartan would have to talk to Rex about it later. Vartan said, "The concept is staggering. I don't completely understand it myself."

Hevy asked, "So you're saying, that big motherfucker in their chopper became the dog that killed Cutup?"

"Yes." Vartan nodded, "I theorize that we're dealing with an organism that imitates life forms perfectly. It could go on and on, become one dog or as many as it wanted, and still have its original body mass left over. Kaedan and I were able to theorize all of this from blood samples. The cells were still alive, absorbing some blood I drew from myself."

Fox shrugged, "So what's our problem?"

Vartan's gaze turned distant and cold. "People. It can imitate people as well. It may be sitting among us right now."

Everyone suddenly turned to look at the person next to him or her, not knowing whether they were the person they said they were.

Vindi scoffed, the first time he had spoken up since the morning. "Listen, there is evidence saying that the creature was cloning the dog. But that's just a physical copy. Tissue. Blood. Nothing else."

Hevy turned to him surprised. It was the most they had gotten out of him all day. "So it can look human?"

"Theoretically yes, but that's it. For it to deceive the rest of us, it would have to be absolutely perfect in both appearance _and_ behavior. To speak our language and understand what it's saying? To fathom all the subtleties of human interactions, and play the part of the person it looks like? Impossible!"

It was a good defense. Neither Vartan, nor Kaedan had a rebuttal.

Soon, the crew's dinner was brought out. They ate in silence, eyeing each other with mixed levels of suspicion. Some believed Vartan, some believed Vindi. The evening passed quietly.

A couple people stayed up late into the morning. It was about 0400 Hours when Cody and Hevy heard a motor in the distance. A lone headlight pierced the veil of the storm. Both Cody and Hevy knew that was both a good and bad sign, Rex was back, hopefully, but only one vehicle had come back. Someone, or possibly two people were missing, probably dead.

The snowmobile purred quietly as it slid into the hangar and the engine was shut down. The rider threw off his hood to reveal Rex's face. The driver sobbed quietly, and Hevy knew that voice. Hevy looked into his captain's eyes, and saw the same sadness there.

Quietly, Hevy asked, "Is he..." He couldn't finish it because he knew it was true.

Rex nodded solemnly, "He's gone."

Hevy just sat back against the wall and allowed a tear to escape his eye. Two of their squad, their _family_ , were dead. And with what Vartan said earlier, Hevy knew, they were nowhere near out of the woods yet.

 **Who bit the dust?! I know every reader hates cliffhangers (I do too), but they're so fun to write. (Am I a hypocrite? Probably.)**

 **Again, a shorter chapter than usual. The next chapter will cover what happened while Rex, Fives, and Echo were out hunting all day. Since it's already written (shocker for me), I intend to post it on the morning of Sunday, November 11th.**


	12. Chapter 11: On the Hunt

**Hello again! Here's the second part of the last chapter, and the search for the dogs. A major character is about to die, so just be warned. I understand if you all hate me for killing him and stop reading because more and more beloved characters will die as the story progresses. Just no hate mail, please. Regardless of that, I hope you enjoy this and again, feel free to comment/review.**

 **Also, to all my American viewers, I hope y'all have a happy, meaningful Veteran's Day!**

 **killernooch -** I'm so glad you feel that way! I hope this chapter continues to live up to those expectations.

 **teresa. spanics -** But was Hardcase the Thing or a human before that chapter? That is the question. And I understand, Fox did act like a jerk, and will be a jerk throughout this arc. It's just that I see Vindi as the bigger jerk who is making Fox act this way.

 **Jayfeathers Friend -** Well either Fives or Echo will join the death toll here. I'm kind of bummed that you didn't want all of the above for Vindi's death, but let's just say that it will be quite grisly indeed. I honestly haven't seen Venom because I don't really watch many Marvel movies (yeah, I'm crazy, I know), but I'll definately try.

 **Predator Words:** _ooman:_ human; _dah'kte:_ wristblades

 **-000-**

 **Earlier that day...**

 **Somewhere South of Peary Station, February 8, 1970, 1200 Hours...**

Two snowmobiles roared across the hard, flat arctic tundra in pursuit of the escaping dogs. Bolstered by the added horsepower, they had gotten through the worst of the storm and the sun began to peak out from behind the clouds. They followed the still visible dog tracks in the snow. The sun slid across the horizon, and the experienced Rangers, being experts at surviving in the wilderness, knew it was almost midday. Echo drove the snowmobile loaded with supplies, while Rex and Fives doubled up on the other one.

While Fives drove, Rex steadied his binoculars, scanning the horizon for a sign, _any_ sign, of the missing huskies. He spotted something. A dark shape laying on the ground about 100 meters ahead of them in the whiteness, right in the middle of the dog tracks. Rex tapped twice on Fives shoulder and pointed. Fives saw it and signaled to Echo. The two snowmobiles slowed to a halt about 15 yards back.

Rex dismounted, unslinging the M16 rifle from his back. Echo strapped the flamethrower onto Fives' back and grabbed a flare gun for himself. They slowly approached it, their weapons trained on the thing in the snow. It did nothing. It didn't move or even acknowledge they were there. That was because it was dead.

Rex kneeled down next to the half-eaten carcass of a dog. Its hind legs and lower stomach had been picked clean. The ripped hide flapped in the wind like a flag. The top half was missing altogether.

Fives scrunched his face up in disgust. "What is it?" He asked Rex.

Rex shrugged and said, "Dinner maybe?" as he examined the tracks leading away from it. These were splotched with blood.

Echo looked away. "But dogs don't eat other dogs." He commented as Rex turned back to the snowmobiles.

"I know." A beat of silence; the only sound the howling wind. Then Rex simply said, "But they aren't dogs."

Fives got back to his feet. "Where's the other half?"

"Probably the next meal." Rex answered as he unstrapped one of the cans of gasoline from the snowmobile. "Where are these tracks headed?"

Echo shrugged. "Nowhere... Just straight to the ocean."

There was another beat of silence as Rex took this information in. He poured the contents of the can over the half-eaten dog and took Echo's flare gun. He shot at the body, setting it aflame. "Let's move."

Fives and Echo exchanged unsure and weary glances. Obviously, they were not anxious to continue. Fives turned to Rex. "Sir, they could be hours ahead of us. We may never reach them."

Echo nodded, he was getting a very ominous feeling from this, and said, "It's also going to get dark soon. It'll be a ways below zero tonight."

Rex just walked back to the snowmobile and fired up the engine. "Turn back if you want."

Echo and Fives just exchanged shrugs. Echo sighed, "I have a bad feeling about this."

 **1600 Hours...**

The Sun began to roll off the horizon, a slight orange hue in the sky the only indication that it was there. The Rangers only had a few minutes of daylight left at the most. The snowmobiles moved slower, positioned on either side of the tracks. The tracks abruptly changed direction, and the snowmobiles ground to a halt. The temperature had dropped drastically. Rex surveyed the terrain with his binoculars. They were headed towards a group of icy bluffs and large interspersed drifts of snow. The sunlight would not light up the terrain like it did to the flat tundra they were leaving.

As the sky darkened even further, the snowmobiles' headlights were flicked on as they cautiously followed the tracks through a narrow valley of ice cliffs and snow dunes. Rex, Fives, and Echo looked ahead, behind, and to the sides of themselves as they plodded their way through the maze. The wind whipped around them, creating sounds from every side. Rex had left a trail of flares in the ice behind them, marking their way out.

Suddenly, Rex tapped Fives on the shoulder and motioned for him to stop. Echo saw his signals and also stopped. Rex pointed ahead of them and the vehicles' headlights revealed a dog about 20 yards in front of them. It sat, it's back to them, unconcerned and heedless of their arrival. Something draped from its jaws. Something torn and bloody. It was the other half of the eaten dog. The valley had opened up around them, about 15 feet wide, then narrowed as it rose slightly to a small drift which the dog sat on. The valley closed off in front of them. They had the husky hemmed in.

Fives, carrying the flamethrower, and Rex, holding a bundle of dynamite, waded awkwardly but carefully towards the dog, like penguins waddling to the edge of a glacier. Echo stood back by the snowmobiles, loaded flare gun in hand and rifle slung across his back.

About a dozen feet from the dog, Rex and Fives spread apart slightly. It continued to pay them no mind, content to chew its food. Fives whispered to Rex, his words causing a smokestack like plume of frozen CO2 to leave his mouth. "Where's the other one?"

Echo surveyed the top of the bluffs above them with a flashlight taped to the barrel of his M16, the flare gun laying on the snowmobile next to him. He thought he saw a ripple in the air, but he decided it was just some snow blowing off the edge. Rex spoke to the dog, "Where's your buddy, boy? Huh?"

No response. Rex surveyed his surroundings with his own flashlight. The lack of sound making all three of them uneasy. Rex whispered to Fives, "Let that thing fly, Fives. Don't let up until it's been burned to ash."

Fives smiled, this wasn't a completely wasted trip after all. He said. "Sir yes sir." His finger depressed the ignitor, a bit of flame protruding from the tip. The flicker of fire illuminated their faces in the darkness, the flames dancing across them.

Behind them, Echo continued to watch the tops of the bluffs. A bit of snow blew off the ledge, glinting in the beam of his flashlight. Echo swore he could see something move up there! Was it the other one? Was it waiting to pounce on them from above? Echo turned to shout a warning, but it was too late. Something from underneath the snow reached up and grabbed his legs with two impossibly strong arms. He was yanked down violently through the hard snow in one amazingly powerful motion. Echo screamed and his finger instinctively jerked the trigger on his rifle, sending a burst of gunfire into a nearby cliff. The gun went flying as his arms were pulled beneath the snow, the weapon flying in an arc to fall into a small pile of snow. Echo's head was the only thing still above the ice, screaming for help. His cries echoed eerily among the maze of snow and ice.

Fives and Rex both spun. Confused. Unable to see anything except for Echo's screaming head. "ECHO!" Fives yelled as he rushed towards his friend. Rex followed, but tripped.

A snapping, crackling sound came from behind Rex. He froze and turned back to the dog. Only it wasn't a dog. Its back was still to him, but the coat of hair was standing ramrod straight like quills on a porcupine. It snarled as it turned to face them, eyes lusterless black spheres. The skin began to split and the mouth ripped open wildly. The mouth now resembled a never-ending hole, and large, deadly fangs protruded from the edges. Rex yelled, "Fives! Torch it!"

Fives stopped, confused as to who to help first. He saw the dog hunched and ready to spring at them. He stepped back towards Rex. The dog-Thing leaped for Rex, an incredible jump of at least twenty feet. Rex stumbled backwards, caught unprepared by the dog-Thing's jump. Its gaping maw was aimed right at his head, a pit darker than the void.

Fives let loose on the trigger and a torrent of fire spewed forth from the nozzle of the flamethrower. The stream of napalm collided with the dog in midair, the force of the jet knocking the dog-Thing back and tumbling to the ice in flames. Rex got back to his feet and threw his dynamite at it. It exploded, blowing the screeching alien to millions of flaming bits.

The two soldiers spun back to Echo's still screaming head. The ice underneath him thrashed violently. Rex and Fives stood by helpless to do anything. Unable to see what had him. Unable to decide what action to take. Fives, tears in his eyes, ran forward to help his closest friend. Rex grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back. "Stay back!" He yelled. Fives shrugged him off and tried to run towards Echo again. Rex reacted and put Fives in a chokehold, well a kind of awkward chokehold due to the flamethrower tank of Fives' back. "That's an order, trooper!"

Fives shot him a look of betrayal, and Rex felt a stab of pain in his chest. He knew what Fives was thinking. Those two were always attached at the hip, despite their complete opposite personalities. Fives' world had to be crumbling down in front of him.

Echo's head disappeared under the ice with a sudden jerk. The ice continued to rumble like boiling water, moving in multiple directions. Part of Echo's body popped up in a different area, then disappeared just as quickly. Rex and Fives watched on in despair, frustration, and anger. Fives spoke, his voice hollow. "What are we going to do?"

"How the fuck would I know?"

Echo's head and upper torso then surfaced near one of the snowmobiles. Something had him. Something huge. Unclear as to what in the dwindling light. Maybe the jowls of a dog? But huge. Echo's heavy thermal gear began to rip and tear as if the skin underneath was bulging outwards. Bony appendages pushed outwards, distorting his figure. Echo howled in pain as the jowls seemed to be absorbing his head.

Rex let go of Fives and ran for the snowmobile, yelling an order to Fives. "Torch them!"

Fives was hesitant. His fingers were trembling, but not from the cold. Tears freezing in the biting wind. "But..."

"Do it! He's gone anyways!"

Fives depressed the trigger and blasted away. The ice began to melt as Echo and whatever had him caught fire. The same screeching from the kennel reverberated through the narrow walls of the valley.

Rex grabbed can after can of gasoline, throwing them on the fire. The fire flared up immediately, ending any chill that Rex still felt from the cold. The screeching intensified. Suddenly, a steel-like, arachnid-shaped arm shot out from below the ice in pain, piercing the chassis of the snowmobile and flipping it over. It flailed and lunged blindly. Rex fell backwards, but recovered and dumped more gasoline on the writhing mass. Rex dove away from the wild appendage and scuttled back to Fives, who was still spraying the Thing with fire.

Fives shut off the torch, watching the conflagration. They watched on as Echo and whatever held him burnt to a cinder, roaring in the flames. Behind them, the remnants of the other dog-Thing continued to burn. The screeching, mewing, and gurgling continued to wail on all about them.

The two Rangers looked at each other in disbelief, their faces illuminated by the flickering flames. The death noises of the Thing began to subside, but the fires did not.

 **-0-**

The heat of the fire glowed brightly against the black of snow and ice in Nightblood's thermal vision. He was again fulfilling the role of an observer, watching the _ooman_ soldiers. He and Straight Spear had seen the dog-Things escaping as they exited after destroying the carcass the _oomans_ has in their shelter. Nightblood, the better tracker of the two, had given chase and trailed the dog-Things. He intended to end them, but after a few hours of tracking, Straight Spear had contacted him and informed him that some of the _oomans_ had given chase.

And Nightblood had caught up to the Thing before the _oomans_ had and had watched the entire battle from his perch above an ice cliff. The Thing had cornered itself in a valley of ice, which was odd. Nightblood had been intrigued by the development, as the Thing was acting strangely. As if it was a different form of the creature he had hunted before. Cloaked in the night sky, he was near invisible to both human and Thing. He saw the _ooman_ get pulled beneath the ice. It was interesting and slightly disconcerting to know that the Thing had lured the _oomans_ into an ambush. But he was impressed when the other two were able to burn everything. One of their vehicles had been wrecked, its fuel tank punctured and empty. He watched the two survivors transfer everything to the other vehicle and ride back the way they came.

Confident he would not be spotted, Nightblood descended from his perch using his _dah'kte_ to slow his fall on the cliff face. He hit the ground, easily absorbing the impact, and walked over to the immolated remains of the weapon. Pulling out more vials of the acid, he threw them onto the still-burning Things. His job here was done, and the Predator began the trek back to his rendezvous with Straight Spear.

 ***Hides behind and underneath a bunch of crates* Please don't kill me for killing Echo. It had to happen at some point!**

 **Again, shorter chapter than usual. Fives learns of a plot and more deaths to come in the next mini-arc!**


	13. Chapter 12: It Could Be Any of Us

***Peeks out of hiding place* Is it okay for me to come out now? And no, my absence was not because I was hiding, but because I have been completely swamped by college applications and writing essays for those. I've just been completely drained by those and haven't had much time to write this story. Again, so sorry, but my schedule should free up sometime in mid-December.**

 **Also, HAPPY THANKSGIVING people!**

 **SirLoozElite -** Don't worry about it, I know how you feel cause my life has been kicking my butt lately. I'm so glad you like the tension and terror of each chapter because honestly, I'm writing on the fly with no plan whatsoever. Vindi will indeed receive a gruesome demise, but I haven't completely decided what to do with Fox yet (any ideas for his death?) And it is probably a bad thing that we're used to clones dying by now (heck, I'm killing them in this story!). And no, the Thing never dies easily. Except for Bennings, that was a rather easy kill.

 **teresa. spanics -** Yep, Echo had a sad end didn't he. More are going to survive this arc, but there's a difference in surviving this arc and the entire story (Not to mention that I would have to completely change the ending of my last fic). And trust me, Vindi will get his just deserts.

 **killernooch -** RIP Echo (I'm sorry!).

 **-000-**

 **The Following Morning...**

 **Peary Station, February 9, 1970, 0800 Hours...**

Rex and Fives walked into the rec room where the rest of the crew was. They had had a restless night, and it ended with neither of them being able to sleep. Every time he had closed his eyes, Rex had seen first Echo, then Fives, Hevy, Kix, Hardcase, and finally Cutup killed by the Thing and he was forced to watch them all burn. Fives kept hearing Echo's screaming in his head over and over again mixed with the death cries of the alien that killed him.

Rex had been briefed by Vartan and Kaedan, given a rundown on what they thought was the Thing's true nature. Rex looked around, everyone was present except for Cody, who had said he was going to the trash dump to look for something, and Ahsoka, who had just left the room by herself. Everyone else was questioning Waxer, who had alerted them to the dogs, and supposedly forgot to lock the cage.

Waxer was frazzled and defensive, "Look, I'm telling you I didn't leave the kennel unlatched. I know I locked it."

"Bullshit!" shouted Hardcase, who also held the flamethrower. "You left it open so they could get out!"

Hevy stood next to Hardcase, M79 also trained on Waxer. Out in the trash dump, Cody waded through waist-deep detritus searching for something. The interrogation continued inside.

Waxer had become angry, "If I had anything to hide, would I have gone and told you that they had escaped?" He pushed the nozzle of the flamethrower away from his face. "Get that thing out of..."

Hardcase grabbed Waxer by the collar and ripped him off his chair. "Don't you be telling me what to do!"

Kix got in between them and yelled at Hardcase, "Lighten your load, you idiot. You're not the judge and executioner around here."

"Who are you trying to protect, Kix? I'm telling you this son of a bitch might be one of them."

Rex and Hevy stepped forwards, breaking them all up. Hevy slapped Hardcase across the face. "Hold on, damn it! We're getting nowhere. Accusing Waxer like this won't bring Echo back! Or Cutup!"

Cody walked in through the door with a bundle under his arm as Hevy continued. "If Vartan's theory about it being absorbing and imitating is true, then that Thing could have gotten to any of us."

Kix nodded, "And if it got to Waxer, it could have gotten to anyone." He turned to Vartan who was leaning against the wall.

Vartan nodded as Cody walked over to the table. "Theoretically, yes. Any one of us could be whatever the hell this thing is."

Boil shook his head from his seat on the couch, "It's just too damn wild. I can't believe this."

Cody spoke up for the first time, throwing the bundle on the table. "Well, you can believe it now." The bundle unfurled to reveal a familiar pair of shredded long johns. Cody continued, "Barriss found this yesterday evening. It's ripped and torn, like Rex said what was happening to Echo's clothes when it got to him. It seems these Things don't imitate clothes, just flesh and bone."

Everyone looked at each other in silence. Cody examined the tag and looked at Waxer, "Size Large. What size do you wear, Waxer?"

Waxer stewed, "So what?"

Hevy spoke up, "I wear size large too."

Rex nodded, "So do I. So do most of us."

The uneasiness in the room grew. Cody looked at everyone, "I doubt if it got to more than one or two of us. But it got to someone."

Fives looked uneasy, "So you're saying someone here isn't what he appears to be?"

Cody remained silent, only nodded. All paused as eyes traveled from man or woman to man or woman. Boil spoke, "So? What are we going to do? How do we know who is human and who is... not?"

Rex spoke up, "Nobody goes anywhere alone."

Fox cut in for the first time, "How do we know it hasn't gotten to you? I mean, it could have gotten to you and Fives out on the ice. Maybe you killed Echo so you'd have a story no one could refute."

All eyes turned to the two Rangers. Kaedan said, "You can't. It could be any of us, including you, Fox."

Vartan nodded, a slight smirk on his face. "She's right you know."

Fox glared angrily, "Well that's just bloody great!"

"I know it isn't me." Barriss spoke up from her seat.

Hardcase laughed, "Me neither. I'm getting out of here."

Boil nodded, "I'm with them." He said as he pointed at Barriss and Hardcase.

The door to the corridor opened, and everyone turned to see Ahsoka walk in. She gazed coldly at all of them, having overheard the end of that conversation. "No. No one's leaving."

Hardcase furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?"

"No one is leaving until we kill that thing. I've disabled both choppers."

This caused an uproar. Fox angrily advanced on her, "Airman Tano! You can't possibly believe that depriving us of our only means of escape is a good idea. You can't subvert authority like that! Without the chain of command, everything goes to hell in a handbasket."

Ahsoka smirked at him, "Oh I'm sorry. I just did." Her smirk faltered and became dead serious, "No one is escaping here until all you aliens are dead."

Fox tried to respond, but was drowned out by the ruckus of the crew. People were yelling at each other, accusing them of being untrustworthy and inhuman. Fox merely glared at her with a look of betrayal.

 **-0-**

 **1100 Hours...**

The crowd had cleared out of the rec room, leaving Vindi and Waxer alone with Kix, now on guard duty. Kix sat across from Vindi on a couch, a bucket of kerosene at his feet and a flare next to him. Vindi may have been tied up, but he and Waxer might have be an alien, ergo the incendiaries. Waxer was currently asleep.

The door opened and Fox walked in with Cody. Fox looked like he usually did, but Cody looked tired, defeated. Kix saluted, but Fox held up his hand. "Don't worry Private. We'll relieve you."

Kix nodded and left, closing the door behind him. Vindi looked up angrily at them, "Well? Are you going to cut me loose?"

Fox shook his head, "Nope. If someone walked in here and saw you loose, it would fuck up your plan."

"Fine."

Fox continued, "Rex and the pilot have stirred up the rest of the crew and told them that we need to kill the alien."

Vindi swore, "Fools! They don't know what they're doing!"

Cody murmured to himself, "They're protecting the nation, that's what."

"What was that Commander?" Vindi glared daggers at Cody.

"It's damn well what you thought it was!" Cody yelled at him. "You're a fucking maniac that's willing to fuck over the entire planet just so you can have your perfect spy."

Vindi smirked sweetly at him, but Cody knew it was full of malice. "Now listen to me Commander. That thing will help us win the war against the Soviets. It's an animal. It can be tamed. Domesticated. Made to obey. Like _people_. Like _you._ "

Fox sighed, "I'm not so sure about this sir. I've lost two people in this mission. Possibly more."

Vindi sneered, "They knew the risks when they joined the military, Commander. Just like you."

Fox nodded, "I know sir. But I don't want to lose any more."

Vindi's face seemed to soften. "Then don't make their deaths be in vain. We'll save countless more if we can use this thing to our advantage. Think about it. This creature could help bring about the downfall of communism worldwide. An end to Vietnam. The fall of the Berlin Wall. The westernization of Eastern Europe. An end to nuclear crises. An era of world peace. Don't let their deaths be in vain. Think, why is the Thing attacking us?" Nobody answered so Vindi responded to his own question, "Rex and the dogs attacked it. It could have been merely defending itself. If we show it mercy, and a desire to communicate and work with it, it will befriend us in turn and help us."

Fox sat down, head in his hands. "Are you sure sir?"

"Positive."

Fox was silent for a while. Finally, he spoke, "I guess you're right. What do we need to do?"

Cody was torn. _W_ _as Vindi actually right?_ Would the Thing actually save lives instead of take them? Vindi answered. "Good choice, my friend. All I need you to do is find me a living form of it, whether it be in the form of when we found it or a shred of flesh. Then we evacuate." He turned to Cody, "You may go Commander Cody."

Cody nodded curtly. He was torn, conflicted. He knew he should destroy this thing here and now, but what Vindi had said actually made sense. Was he really willing to torpedo world peace just to find some shred of revenge? He shut the door behind him, not noticing the figure hiding in the shadows of a nearby doorway.

 **-0-**

Fox turned to Vindi, "You still have something to say?"

"I do. I have one change to the order I just gave. After we get a sample, fix up your helicopter and fly us out of here."

Fox glared. Vindi turned to look at him, "What?"

"So you get what you want and leave Rex and the others to die here?"

Vindi shook his head, "No. They are a frontline test of this thing as a weapon. We observe them fight this creature and find its weaknesses. After I have enough data, we leave."

Fox nodded, "Fine. But if they survive, you evacuate them. Got it?"

"Sure Commander."

 **-0-**

In the corridor outside the rec room, Fives walked on his way back from the bathroom. He heard muffled voices and shouting. Curious, he pressed his ear to the door. He made out Vindi ranting about the Thing, and how it would be the catalyst to end the war. Fox was talking to him, and Vindi said that he needed some piece of the Thing. Fives' eyes shot open. _Fox was working with Vindi behind their backs!_ Footsteps neared the door, and Fives ducked back into the doorway to the bathroom. He saw a man walk out. _Fox?_ No, the man had a different walk than Fox. It had to be Cody, the man was wearing military equipment and Fives knew the walk of everyone in his unit.

Fives came back to the door, pressing his ear against it again. He heard Vindi say, _After we get a sample, fix up your helicopter and fly us out of here."_

His brow furrowed, what did that mean? Vindi and Fox were going to ditch them here? And what role did Cody have in this? He heard Fox question him, then Vindi's response: _No. They are a frontline test of this thing as a weapon. We observe them fight this creature and find its weaknesses. After I have enough data, we leave."_

Fives staggered back from the door as if someone had yanked him back. He had to tell Rex, he had to warn him!

Fives ran down the corridor. Where would Rex and the others be? The medical lab maybe? A voice called from behind him and he turned to see Hardcase coming out of the men's dorm. Hardcase spoke again, "Fives, we need to talk."

"I'm trying to find Rex. Do you know where he is?"

Hardcase nodded, then frowned. "Follow me." Hardcase took Fives into another room, Fox's office. It was lightly decorated, and had a snow-frosted window on the wall.

Hardcase turned as Fives asked, "Why're we here? Where's Rex?"

Hardcase had a look of anger placed on his face, "That thing's killed a third of our squad. I'm not losing another." He paced back and forth, walking behind Fives. "Airman Tano's right. No one can leave yet." His gaze softened, "You also looked like something was bugging you. I thought you might want to just get something off your chest."

Fives nodded, "I want revenge as much as you do. That damn thing forced me to burn my friend. My _brother_! I want to see it destroyed!"

"I know you do. What's wrong? There's something more than that."

"Fox is plotting with Vindi. Cody's also involved. They're going to get a sample of the Thing and then leave us here high and dry."

"Damn it!" Hardcase swore. "We need to tell Rex. We can't trust anyone."

"What about me? Aren't you afraid that I'll turn out to be one of them? That I was changed out on the glacier?"

Hardcase shook his head, chuckling. "I'm not. I trust you, and I know that I can always count on you." He turned to face Fives.

Fives' eyes shot open in fear as he saw Hardcase's face begin to stretch and elongate. Hardcase's voice began to distort. _"Just like you've_ _always trusted me, Fives."_ The Hardcase-Thing hissed as it began to approach Fives.

Fives continued to back up until his back hit the wall. He was cornered. _Damn it!_ Fives saw the Hardcase-Thing hiss as tendrils flopped out of his face and hands. But not his chest or arms or legs. Odd. Fives glanced at the window and whipped out his gun, firing five times to shatter the glass. The Hardcase-Thing laughed as Fives broke through the rest of it and scampered through it. The broken glass cut into Fives' skin as he retreated, but he didn't care. He needed to escape to fight another day. To avenge Cutup, Echo, and Hardcase.

 **Well well, Fives is in a bit of a pickle now. What happens next? That's the question.**

 **Stay tuned for the next chapter: Not knowing who to trust, Fives struggles to stay alive as the Thing moves to cause more chaos and unrest.**


	14. Chapter 13: The Wrong Man

**Damn! Has it actually taken me this long to update? I am so so sorry that it's taken me as long as it has to get this out. I've just been bogged down in stuff for school and college and I've been suffering from both illness and writer's block. To make up for that, I made this chapter a bit longer than the past few.**

 **In other news, all of my college apps are completed!** **Hooray!** **Now just scholarships remain. Ah well, at least I have more time now. Hopefully updates will come quicker now, but no promises. Also, check out the new summary!**

 **Although, for some reason I get the feeling that I'm going to need a bomb shelter.**

 **Again, feel free to leave a comment/review.**

 **SirLoozElite -** Fives does seem to get the short end of the stick most of the time doesn't he? Vindi is falling into the trope of the mad doctor who feels he must communicate with the alien. We all know how that will end. Don't worry, any plot twist I make will not cause me to retcon my first fic. I am currently looking into possible plot twists though, so all I can say is stay on your toes.

 **teresa. spanics -** Aw crap, you're making me feel terrible about what's coming soon. As to what Vindi might do, I like the idea, and it does seem like something that Vindi would do. Reread the Prologue though, I'd have to change that if I chose that idea word for word. I'll just need to find a way to incorporate it somehow with my current plan (I may be writing on the fly, but I do have a general idea of what is going to happen). And thank you so much for your encouraging words about college. As you can imagine, it's kind of stressful for me.

 **killernooch -** He will be remembered, as are all who will die in the course of this fic. It does seem that Hardcase has a hard time when it comes to alien creatures doesn't it.

 **Predator Words:**

 _ooman:_ Human

 _lou-dte kale:_ Child-bearer (Female)

 **Peary Station, February 9, 1970, 1135 Hours...**

Everyone in the medbay heard the gunfire and everybody stopped talking at once. Ahsoka, Hevy, and Rex burst out into the hallway as Kix strapped on the flamethower. Hardcase ran down the hall towards them from Fox's office, panicked, his gun in hand. "It was Fives! He tried to attack me! He's one of them. He's one of..." Hardcase dropped to the ground in anguish as Hevy ran towards the doorway. He entered, grenade launcher ready, to find wind blowing in from the broken window. A trail of blood led through the snow out into the storm.

He let out a breath. This could not be happening! Fives couldn't be one of them. But apparently he was. Hevy turned away to report his findings. Except the view in the hallway suprised him even more. A circle had formed around Rex, who had his hands in the air. Fox had his weapon drawn and was yelling at Kix to keep the flamethrower on Rex. Hevy yelled, "What's going on here?"

Fox spoke sadly, "If Master Sergeant Fives is one of them, then Captain Rex must be as well."

"Why's that?"

"They went out onto the ice after that Thing. It must have killed Echo and gotten to them." Fox lowered the gun, "I'm sorry Rex, but we can't trust you."

Vartan sighed, "He's right Captain."

Hevy was shocked. Rex couldn't be one of them! He refused to believe it. "I refuse. Sir, you can't possibly be..."

Rex looked down sadly, "Stand down Hevy. I know I'm human. You know I'm human. And I know Fives is human. We just can't prove any of it." He turned to Fox. "What will be done with me?"

Fox glanced at Vartan. Kaedan proposed an answer, "We could tie him up until we find a test."

Rex looked at Hevy, "Find Fives, Hevy. He'll prove them wrong."

Fox held out his hand for Rex's pistol, and Rex unholstered it, gripping it by the barrel. It appeared that Rex was going to hand it to Fox, but he brought it up quickly, cracking Fox across the face with the butt of the gun. Fox gave a shout of pain and he gripped his bleeding nose as he fell to the ground. Fox shouted for Kix to burn him, but Kix hesitated. He looked to Hevy for orders, but Hevy shook his head. "Let him go."

Kix nodded and Rex and Hevy's eyes met for a second before Rex had gone. Fox staggered to his feet, glaring daggers at Hevy. "Why?" he said in a voice laced with shock and betrayal. "WHY?!"

Cody sat up from his seat on a table, "Forget it Fox. We need to find them."

Fox rounded on Cody, "Oh, I get it now. You're also one of them! Boil, you and Ms. Offee take Corporal Hevy to the common room and tie him to the couch. If he moves, torch him."

Hevy smirked at him, "I'm not going anywhere. I have a grenade launcher and you don't."

Cody put a calming hand on Fox's shoulder, "I said forget it, Fox. I'll go outside with Hevy. You take Kix and search the hanger. Ahsoka, grab some grenades and take Kaedan to search the rest of the base. Boil, take Hardcase and go guard Vindi and Waxer."

Fox snarled, but turned on his heel. Cody turned to Hevy, "I understand your desire to protect Rex. I think he's still human too, but don't aggravate Fox. I don't want anyone else to be killed by this alien, and we can't afford to start killing each other."

Hevy nodded. He didn't completely trust Cody, he felt the SEAL was hiding something, but it was nice to hear that Cody understood. "Let's check the outside."

"Right." But Cody didn't move. Hevy frowned, "What's wrong?"

"If I'm going out on the ice with you, I'm not letting you take the Thumper." He shrugged, "You know, in case..."

"In case, huh?" Hevy narrowed his eyes. "And why should I hand it to you? For all I know, you're one of them and trying to disarm me right now."

"You don't know that," Cody said, "I know I'm human, but I can't prove it. I think you're human, but I can't be certain."

"Doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to hand this over."

A higher-pitched voice broke through their conversation. "Oh for the love of God, hand me the damn thing and take some of these grenades with you!" The two soldiers turned to see Ahsoka standing there with multiple grenades clipped to her flight jacket and belt, and one in each hand. Kaedan stood next to her, a box of grenades cradled in her arms.

Cody and Hevy shared a glance, before Hevy shrugged and handed the Thumper over. Cody and Hevy each grabbed a handful of grenades from the box. Ahsoka and Kaedan left to search their quadrant, and Cody and Hevy climbed out of the broken window in Fox's office, immediately spotting the blood trail. "Do you think those Things bleed?" Hevy asked.

"They'd have to to appear human. If they do or not otherwise, I don't know." Cody stopped and turned to look at Hevy, "Look Hevy, I understand your desire to help Rex. I... I want to believe that Rex is human. But please don't antagonize Fox."

"And why not? The asshole's got to be one of them. I think he's been trying to pit us against each other."

Cody sighed, breath pluming before him in the cold. "Hevy, we've already lost 2 men and more may be... not human by now. I just don't want to lose anyone else. We can't start killing each other unless we know for sure that a person is one of those Things."

Hevy squinted at the SEAL, before laughing, "There's hope for you yet, Cody. Come on, we need to find Fives and Rex before the others do."

Cody smiled and nodded. They resumed following the blood trail.

 **-0-**

Ahsoka and Kaedan began to search the dorms. They found nothing in the men's dorm, then turned to the women's dorm. Ahsoka did a quick scan of the room with her eyes, and they fell on an anomaly. The window had a pane smashed out of it and had been opened from the outside. A blanket had been wadded up and pulled into the missing pane, keeping out the wind and snow. And lying on her flight travel bag was a small slip of paper. She went over to it and picked it up.

Kaedan saw it as well. "What's that?"

"A note." Ahsoka responded, "from Fives."

"What's it say?"

Ahsoka read it out loud. "Airman Tano, my apologies for the busted window, but there's no one else I can trust. I can't reach Rex, Hevy, or Kix without Fox, Cody, or any of the others finding out. I was framed. Set up. Hardcase is one of them, he lured me into Fox's office and attempted to get me. Please, I need help. Meet me in the storage room at 1230 Hours. Come alone and unarmed. Fives. P.S. Sorry about the window."

Kaedan looked at her, "What do we do? It's already 12:20."

Ahsoka thought it over, "He could be telling the truth about Hardcase, but he could also be a Thing trying to rip us apart even further." She turned and looked Kaedan straight in the eyes, "I'm going to meet him, but I'm not going unarmed. Head to the common room, stay with Boil and Barriss until I get back."

Kaedan chuckled as she shook her head, "Bullshit. I'm going with you." Her face fell though when she saw the fear on Ahsoka's face. "What?"

Ahsoka sighed, "It's dangerous Kaedan, and..." She paused, uncertain about how to continue, "I'd never forgive myself if you get hurt because of my actions."

Kaedan shook her head, smirking, "So she does still care for me." She burst out laughing at the angry swipe Ahsoka made at her. "Seriously Ahsoka, you may be unflappable in the air, but that was the most cliche way you could have told me that you care about me. Besides, if you're going to be cliche, then," she cleared her throat and said in a light breathy voice, "But Ahsoka! I'd feel even worse if something happened to you while I was safe."

Ahsoka laughed and smiled slightly looking down, "Well, shall we go?"

"Yes, let's."

 **-0-**

 **1230 Hours...**

"I hope Fives knows what he's doing."

Kaedan sighed, holding Ahsoka's M1911 in hand. "I hope you know what we're doing."

Ahsoka nodded and checked the hallway before kicking the door in. She jumped through the entrance, M79 leveled and ready to fire. Fives was nowhere to be seen. The room was dark and Kaedan lit a green signal flare, bathing the room in an eerie emerald glow. The ice that had once encased the creature had melted and refrozen, leaving a frozen waterfall off the table. Snow had drifted in through the hole in the roof and was piling up in spaces. The boxes and supplies they had moved to create room for the spaceship-creature formed countless nooks and crannies for Fives to hide in.

Ahsoka called out, "Fives? Fives, we're here. Come out."

Fives' voice came from the darkness, "Ahsoka, thank you for trusting me. Have you come alone?"

"I have. It's just you, me, and Kaedan."

"Put down your weapons then."

Ahsoka's eyes narrowed, "I don't think so Fives. I need to be able to protect myself and Kaedan."

"Please Ahsoka!" His voice sounded desperate.

"A compromise then." Ahsoka called out, "I'll sling the Thumper over my shoulder."

Kaedan called out into the gloom, "I'm putting my pistol down. What are we here for Fives?"

"I need your help."

Ahsoka almost scoffed, "We know you do. The last couple days have been rough on you with what happened to Cutup and Echo."

"Please Ahsoka! I... I'm not crazy. Please... please just hear what I have to say."

Ahsoka replied, "We're here to help you Fives, let us bring you back. You'll get to tell your side of the story." Gunshots echoed from somewhere else in the building and there was a beeping as lights illuminated all around her. She recognized what they were. _Explosives!_ "No!"

 **-0-**

Fox fumed as he and Kix neared the hangar. _'Nothing would escape here!'_ he thought to himself. Hevy had foiled his attempt to kill the Rex-Thing, and was now out there with Cody. Fox decided he couldn't trust Cody any more. For all he knew, Cody was being assimilated that very moment.

No, Fox thought, he couldn't trust anyone anymore. He knew he was human, and that was good enough for Fox. Vindi could get his own Thing samples. Actually, Fox thought Vindi should lop off one of his fingers and study that. Vindi could be a Thing as well. Two thoughts ran through Fox's brain repeatedly: Kill this Thing, and Survive.

Ahsoka had surely put a damper on the latter, Fox was going to check the choppers just to be sure. She had stranded them all here and was probably not human anymore either. Leaving all the prey in a contained space, it was like fish in a barrel. He did wonder though what shapes these Things could take. Maybe an Ahsoka-Thing would lose all its hair and replace it with horns and tentacles.

A clanging broke Fox's train of thought, and he saw Kix tense beside him. Something was in the hanger. Fox raised his gun and nodded for Kix to lead the way, Kix had the torch after all. The door was slightly ajar, and the two soldiers peered through it. Both recognized Rex looking at the engine of one of the choppers.

Rex swore as he saw that Ahsoka was right. She had removed the distributor caps from both choppers and smashed one of them on the worktable behind him. One was missing, but they were stranded. He straightened and turned right as a bullet slammed into the windshield of Fox's chopper. Rex whirled as he saw both Fox and Kix burst through the door and yell at him to put his hands in the air. The first bullet must have been a warning shot.

Rex dove for cover behind the chopper as Fox opened fire. He leaned out and fired back, intentionally missing his shot. Fox yelled, "Come out now with your hands over your head or I'll shoot!"

Rex laughed, "If I am one of those Things, do you think a bullet would stop me?"

"No, but it would slow you down so Kix could burn you."

Rex grabbed a nearby jerry can and threw it like a grenade towards Fox's position, "You'll burn yourselves as well." The contents spilled and began to spread everywhere. Rex grabbed his lighter and threw it towards the spill. "Have fun Fox!" He shouted as he dove out the window.

Fox saw the jerry can spill what could be gasoline and then the lighter flying through the air towards him. "Hit the deck!" He yelled and saw Kix book it towards the door from where he was trying to flank Rex. Rex had turned and fired a shot at them, hitting the wall above Kix's head. He stumbled and fell to the ground. Fox turned back to look at the gas.

The flame hit the liquid and Fox held his breath.

 **-0-**

Cody and Hevy saw someone jump out the window of the hangar. It looked like it could be Rex, and probably was given the gunshots. They yelled for him to stop, but Rex merely turned and fired at them.

They both flattened against the snow, and Hevy glanced over at Cody. "That was a warning shot."

"Maybe. Or maybe he just killed Fox and Kix. Come on." The two ran over to the window that he jumped out of. Cody put his face in it and was met with the nozzle of a flamethrower.

Kix stood before him with Fox getting up in the background. Fox was kicking a jerry can and swearing. "Water! It would be fucking water he would bluff us with!"

Cody yelled to get his attention and Fox's head snapped towards him. There was a crazed wildness in those eyes and it scared Cody. He shook off the feeling and said, "He's heading towards the supply room. Get to the inside door and block him. We'll prevent him from running off into the snow."

With that, they were gone, running in pursuit of Rex.

 **-0-**

Nightblood and Straight Spear laughed to themselves. It certainly was entertaining watching the _oomans_ run all over the place and accusing each other. If they had any of the... what was it _oomans_ called that one entertainment food? Oh yes, that was it. If they had any popcorn, they would certainly be eating it right now. It appeared that the one who had practically defenestrated himself was being chased by the others. It reminded Straight Spear of a game he used to play as a child with his brother, and it brought a sudden pang of sadness in his heart. It was soon swallowed up by anger and a desire for revenge.

They had eavesdropping tech built into their biomasks, and Nightblood was listening in on a conversation in one room between one of the soldiers and two _lou-dte kale_. It sounded like the soldier had lost his mind. Nightblood knew this creature, he had fought it before but never like this. This one was more insidious and to be honest, it scared him.

He only hoped the _oomans_ could defeat it. Nightblood was starting to doubt if he could.

 **-0-**

Fives came out of the shadows, slowly walking towards an angry Ahsoka. He held the detonator in his hand, but his voice was laced in sadness, "I just need you to listen to me. Please!"

Ahsoka crossed her arms in front of her chest and growled, "I'm not sure we have much of a choice."

Fives felt like he was about to cry. "I was framed!" He cried, "because I know the truth. The truth about a plot. A massive deception."

Kaedan replied this time, "By who?"

Fives was rambling now. He couldn't think straight. Cutup, Echo, and now Hardcase. Who else would die here? "There's a sinister plot against us all! I have proof of it! I can prove that everything I know is true, beyond a shadow of a doubt!"

Ahsoka's face took on a look of anger, "Show me the evidence."

Fives exploded, "Shoot him! Shoot Hardcase in the heart! He won't die!"

Ahsoka now looked at Kaedan with a slight expression of fear. Fives wouldn't blame her. She was trapped in a ring of explosives, the detonator to which was held by a likely deranged soldier. "Let's just get you some help first Fives. We'll deal with Hardcase then."

"You don't believe me!"

 **-0-**

Rex had run through the base, managed to bluff Kix and Fox, and was now pursued by Cody and Hevy. This day couldn't get any worse. He had to find Fives and find out what had happened. Rex knew Fives wasn't changed on the glacier. He had been with him the entire time. The sounds of shouting had come from the supply room, and he climbed up onto the roof. It wasn't too hard with the large snow drifts, and Rex was a Ranger as well.

He got to the hole in the roof where the Thing had burst out of and paused momentarily, analyzing the situation. Fives was appealing desperately to Ahsoka and Kaedan for help, but they looked pissed at him. It didn't help Fives' case that he trapped them with explosives.

Rex was about to call out and jump down when he saw movement at the door. Suddenly, Hevy and Cody grabbed Rex and tackled him to the ground as both Kix and Fox burst in.

 **-0-**

Fox came to a halt in the corridor and turned to Kix. "We're closing in on the target. Get ready."

Kix nodded and engaged the ignitor. A small bit of flame burned at the end of the flamethrower's nozzle.

He heard Kaedan's voice. _"Fives. We_ are _listening to you. We only want to help you."_

 _"How do I know you're not tricking me? How do I know it won't be a trap? Vindi will have me killed, I promise you that!"_

Ahsoka responded, _"That will_ not _happen."_

 _"I swear to you Ahoska, you have no idea..."_

Fox heard enough and burst into the room. Kix yelled, "Stand down Fives!"

Fives whirled, fear overwhelming his face. Fox continued to yell, "Stand down, soldier! Stand down! Get on your knees!"

Fives yelled back, "No no no! Stay back! I'll blow us all up!" His glance went over to Ahsoka's pistol that Kaedan had put down. Kix screamed, "No! Don't do it Fives!"

Fives, caught in a frenzy of panic, fear, and a lust for revenge, didn't hear Kix. He screamed, "Get away from me!" He lunged for the pistol and brought it up.

Rex and Ahsoka yelled at the same time, "Fives! NO!"

A single gunshot thundered in the confined space, followed by a clatter as a 1911 fell to the ground. Rex watched in horror as Fives clutched his chest, red blood seeping between his fingers, staining the white of his snow-encrusted parka. Fives fell to his knees and collapsed to the floor.

Rex threw off Hevy and Cody and jumped down to his friend's side. "Fives? Fives! Fives." He looked over to Kaedan, "Get Barriss! We need a medic!"

Fives struggled to lift his head, looking Rex in the eyes. "Rex."

"Fives."

"This... it's... bigger than any of us. Bigger than anything I could have imagined." He pulled Rex close, grasping his arm. "I only wanted... to protect you guys. Make up for failing Cutup and Echo." He coughed, "Hardcase. It's him. He framed me."

Rex squeezed Fives' hand, "You'll be alright Fives. Don't worry."

"Vindi's plotting... plotting against us. With Fox. Cody knows." His head lolled back.

Rex shook Fives, "Fives. Stay with me Fives." His voice began to break, "Fives?!"

Fives struggled to speak, "The guilt. The nightmare. It's... finally... over." His head rolled to the side and his eyes closed.

Rex shook his body, "Fives. No, Fives. Come on Fives! Don't go! Stick with me. _Stickwithme!_ " His voice broke and came faster and faster, grief overwhelming him. "Fives. Fives! Don't go! No! No." Fives' hand went slack on his arm and Rex cried, shaking with agony.

Ahsoka walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. Rex looked up at her and their eyes met. She closed them and shook her head sadly. They both knew.

 _Fives was gone._

 **-0-**

 **So... yeah.** **Tried a slightly different writing style as well. Hope you enjoyed it despite Fives' death. His death will not be in vain!**

 **Don't be surprised if I go MIA, I'll probably be needing that bomb shelter.**

 **Next Chapter: Cody talks and a test is discovered**


	15. Chapter 14: Revelations

**Happy New Year all! This story finally has over 1000 views! Despite that number, it appears that there are only a couple dozen or so readers across every chapter. Many thanks to all of you, especially for putting up with my inconsistent update schedule. And this is just hilarious, this fic used to have 4 favorites, but after I published the last chapter, someone unfavorited it. They must have really not wanted Fives to die, or really hated that I killed him off. To that person, I totally understand. No hard feelings from me.**

 **In other news, I could use your guys' help. The arc after this one takes place at a Soviet research station. Given how the Republic is America in this fic, I'm trying to make the Separatists the Soviet Union. Currently, I don't really have any Separatists that I can use as Soviets except for Dooku, Grievous, and Lux Bonteri so, if you know the names of any Separatists that would work well, please please PLEASE let me know.**

 **As always, feel free to leave a review/comment.**

 **SirLoozElite -** I guess you could see Fives' death from a mile away, given how he and Fox were included and Fives was framed by the Hardcase-Thing. It does kind of piss me off that he did die in vain in canon, and I'm going to try to avoid that here (key word 'try'). There are actually three other confirmed survivors of the entire story besides Ahsoka, but do remember that there will be a difference between surviving the events of this single arc, which should end sometime soon, and surviving the entire story. I still have three other arcs to write after all. I do hope you enjoy the next few chapters, as I'm going to take a short hiatus after those.

 **teresa. spanics -** Yes, at least he was able to warn Rex and Ahsoka. Fives was always slated to die (I'm sorry!), but his death serves to advance the plot into its next stage. There will be a test soon, but not using blood. Not yet at least. The blood test would be a bit overused if it put it in now and I want to try to do something different. I'm pretty sure that it will be in this or the next chapter, and I hope you like it!

 **killernooch -** Seems like everyone hates Fox don't they? I guess we can't do anything to him in canon, but maybe your hopes will come true in the future here.

 **-0-**

 **Supply Room, Peary Station, February 9, 1970, 1245 Hours...**

Fox had seen the explosives, seen the detonator, and seen Fives reach for the gun. He had acted instinctively, pulling the trigger when a threat appeared before him. Time seemed to slow and he watched as the bullet slammed into Fives' chest. He saw the gun fall, heard it clatter to the ground, watched Fives' hands become red with blood as he clutched his chest, heard Rex's frantic pleas for Fives to stay alive. He saw and heard it all, but he only felt guilt. Fives was human, and so was Rex. He had killed one of his own, and almost killed another. Depression took hold and, in the freezing confines of the supply room, Fox began to cry because he understood what he had become.

 **-0-**

Rex trembled with sadness as he lay his brother's body down on the floor. This was the second squadmate of his who he had held while they died. Rex had seen hundreds of fellow soldiers die, he had killed hundreds more in his time as an Army Ranger, but he had never held them in his arms as life abandoned them. No, he couldn't be gone. Fives was always too tough to die. But he had, and Rex was overcome with furious anger. He rose from the ground and turned to look at Fox. He launched himself at the man, anger and sadness fueling him. The first blow decked Fox and Rex pounced on him, landing blow after blow on him.

Fox didn't fight back, as if he knew he deserved it all. Rex didn't let up, he only wanted to take revenge on the one who had killed Fives. No one intervened, they all stood in a semi-circle around him, watching.

A pair of slim hands grabbed Rex's shoulders, pulling him off the bruised officer. In his grief, Rex swung at the person and clocked Ahsoka in the face. She yelped and grabbed her nose as she fell.

The others rushed in now, Hevy putting Rex in a chokehold as he struggled against him. Rex was screaming as he attempted to get back to Fox, who was being helped up by Cody and Kix. "Let me at him! He killed him!"

Hevy spun Rex around and punched him across the face. The fire in Rex's eyes dimmed as he fell to his hands and knees. Rex went limp, shaking with grief as he cried for his fallen brother. Hevy knelt down next to his Captain, putting a hand on Rex's shoulder. "I know." He said sadly. Hevy and Kix helped him up as Cody said, "Let's get these guys to the common room."

 **-0-**

The group walked into the common room and Barriss, Kaedan, Vartan, Selda, Hardcase, and Boil all looked up at them. Waxer was asleep and Vindi was staring off into space as usual. Barriss had tears in her eyes from what Kaedan had told her. She had grabbed her first aid kit and was about to leave when the group entered. "So he's dead?"

Ahsoka nodded solemnly and Barriss turned away. Kaedan put her hand over her mouth as she saw the blood trickling from Ahsoka's nose. "What happened to you?"

Ahsoka shrugged, "Rex punched me in the face."

Kaedan scoffed, "Of course he did. Barriss, help me patch this up."

Rex made a signal to Hevy, who took his grenade launcher and went to stand in one exit. He did the same to Kix, who held the flamethrower still and moved to the other exit, the entrance they had come through. No one was leaving here until Rex gave the word.

Rex looked at Hardcase, who was sitting on one of the couches with his head in his hands at the news of Fives' death. What Fives had said was disconcerting, Hardcase had framed him. Why? Time to get to the bottom of it. "Hardcase." He said. The corporal looked up at Rex and opened his mouth to respond.

BANG! BANG! BANG! A gun sounded thrice and Hardcase jerked as three .45 ACP slugs ripped through his body, blood and brain matter splattering behind him as the bullets impacted once in his head and twice near the heart. Everyone spun to see Ahsoka with her handgun held in front of her. She fired again and everyone watched in amazement and horror as the bullet hit Hardcase's standing form. _Wait,_ standing?

Kix gave a cry of shock and let loose a jet of flame from his flamethrower at the Hardcase-Thing. It flailed about madly, screeching and mewing with hatred. One arm morphed into a bony tentacle that lashed out at Ahsoka. She dove as it passed harmlessly over her, but it also nearly hit Kaedan. She squealed in fear as she barely got out of its way, the claws on the end grabbing at the fabric of her shirt and dragging her to the floor. Kaedan whimpered as she attempted to pull herself away. Vartan grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked. With a ripping sound, she came free of the Thing, but her shirt had been torn apart.

Rex and Cody both took cover and opened fire. Their bullets caused the Hardcase-Thing to jerk as they hit it, but they failed to fell the beast. Barriss grabbed a cushion to protect herself and the tentacle stabbed through it, almost hitting her. She fell backwards, throwing the cushion and tentacle to the ground, but the Hardcase-Thing began to stalk towards her. Kix fired again and more flames flared up around the Thing.

It neared Barriss, who had scooted back to the wall in fear. A chair smashed over it, courtesy of Ahsoka, who dodged the counterstrike before bringing the chair up again and pushing the Thing back. Kix couldn't fire again because Ahsoka was in the way, so Rex grabbed another chair and helped push the Hardcase-Thing by the exit. Hevy kicked open the door and, with one last shove the Hardcase-Thing was pushed out into the hallway.

It mewed and screeched in hatred at the humans. It wriggled in pain, trying to put out the fire. It turned, only to look straight down the barrel of Hevy's M79 grenade launcher. He pulled the trigger, and Rex slammed the door as the grenade embedded itself in the Hardcase-Thing's torso. With a bang, the Hardcase-Thing blew apart, blasting flaming material against the walls of the corridor. The Hardcase-Thing's lower body was still together, but burning to a crisp. It sprouted spider legs and tried to scamper away, but Kix opened the door and blasted it one more time with the torch. With a final jerk, the Hardcase-Thing finally died.

 **1252 Hours...**

Sighing, Ahsoka sat down and allowed Barriss to finally examine her nose. Nothing was broken, the blow hadn't hit properly to do that, it was just bleeding and slightly swollen.

Kaedan sat shivering, not from the temperature, as she looked down at her chest. Her shirt had been torn and shredded by the Thing's assault, revealing part of her chest and undergarments. Luckily, she had not been scratched by it, Vartan had made sure of that. Ahsoka sat down next to her and put an arm around her shoulders, "How're you holding up?"

With a slightly hysterical laugh, Kaedan responded, "Shaken, I guess. Kinda violated."

Ahsoka nodded sadly, looking at where the Thing had torn her clothes. "Let's get you a new shirt."

Kaedan nodded and started to rise when Hevy spoke up, "Just a moment girls. Ahsoka, how'd you know to shoot Hardcase and how'd you know that it would reveal him?"

Ahsoka shrugged, "I didn't. Fives told me to."

Rex sighed, "He told me too. He said that Hardcase had framed him."

Kix grunted, "We need to find a way to know who's one of them and who's not."

Rex nodded, "Yeah. Vartan, can you think of anything?"

Vartan only shook his head, "The best I can think of is shooting them in the heart. If they don't die, they're infected."

Cody laughed morbidly, "It would work, but it would be kinda hard on all of us, don't you think. I think I may have a test though, but I'll need some equipment."

Rex frowned, "What kind of equipment?"

"The geiger counters Vindi used in the ship. Where are they?"

Fox answered, "The lab."

Rex nodded, "We'll give it a try, we don't really have an alternative."

Cody nodded, "Someone bring the Hardcase-Thing's remains in here. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Rex shook his head, "We'll be back. Hevy, you and me are coming with. Kaedan," she looked up at him, "you go get changed."

Kaedan nodded gratefully and she and Ahsoka left.

 **-0-**

Kaedan and Ahsoka walked into the women's dorm, as no one was allowed anywhere alone now. There were a few snowflakes drifting in through the broken window, seeping in between the cracks of the pane and the blanket stuffed inside it.

Opening her trunk, Kaedan sighed as she pulled the ruined garment off her. "Damn, I really liked this shirt." Ahsoka nodded, "Uh… yeah." She replied awkwardly.

Kaedan noticed and turned to look at her, smirking all the while. "Something wrong?" She almost laughed at Ahsoka's attempts to keep eye contact and not let her gaze drift lower.

Ahsoka swallowed, "I'm… going to wait at the door."

Kaedan giggled, "If you're uncomfortable because my shirt's off, just go ahead and say it."

Ahsoka made a sound of exasperation and nearly slammed her head against the wall multiple times. "You're impossible!"

Kaedan chuckled, "Birds of a feather."

Ahsoka _did_ smack her head against the wall this time, "Damn it, Kaedan! Please just put a shirt on and let's get back to the group." She paused and mumbled the next part under her breath, "For my sanity."

"Aw, you're no fun."

 **-0-**

Cody opened the door and heard the click of a round being chambered. He turned to see Rex holding him at gunpoint. Cody slowly backed up with his hands raised. "Rex? What are you doing?"

"You've got one minute to tell me what Vindi's plotting or I blow your head off."

"What?"

"I trusted you once, I thought I could here." Rex snarled, "Then why the hell do you know what Vindi's plotting? Don't deny it. Fives told me."

Cody sighed and looked down. "Fine. I'm going to die anyways, so I'll talk."

Hevy spoke up, "Why would you die?"

"Vindi's some bigshot scientist from the CIA or something. He said he would kill me if I talked, but I don't care anymore, none of us are getting out of here alive. I was given orders by command to escort him here and assist in retrieving the Russian plane. When I confronted him about the Thing, Vindi said he was the leader of some department called the Other Worldly Life Forms Program and apparently has carte blanche when it comes to extraterrestrials. He wanted me to kill you and enable him to get his precious Thing back home."

"Back home!" Rex's mouth dropped open, "Is the man fucking insane?"

Cody snorted, "That's what I thought. When I refused to help him, Fox put a silenced pistol to my head and forced me to."

"Wait, why would Fox do that?"

"Fox is in Vindi's pocket. He's the one who alerted Vindi about the crash, he must have suspected it to be a UFO."

Rex nodded, "Makes sense. Vartan and Selda told us he confiscated radar data and other materials after the crash. So why does he want the Thing? Even he has to see how dangerous it is and how we need to kill it."

Cody scoffed again, "Damn idiot believes that it would make a perfect spy. He thinks that he can tame it, and that it's only killing us because we're attacking it. He believes that if he can show it kindness and an offer of friendship, it'll befriend us and help us overthrow the Soviets."

Hevy laughed, "That's complete bullshit."

"I know, but he's delusional. Like those mad scientists in those movies who are determined to communicate with the beast." Cody laughed darkly, "At least that means he'll kick the bucket."

Rex nodded, and holstered his gun, "Alright, you've earned some time. Now what's this test of yours?"

"I'll let you know once we get back to the common room."

 **-0-**

Back in the common room, Cody stood in front of everyone, with the burned remains of the Hardcase-Thing on the dining table behind him. On the counter to the side sat a couple geiger counters. Cody spoke, "When Fox, Vindi, and I went into the crashed spaceship, we brought geiger counters with us for protection from radioactivity. However, they ended up leading us right to the Thing's frozen carcass." He paused as he saw Vindi glaring a hole through him, and Cody smirked at him as he continued. "It was radioactive enough that we could detect it through the pod it was found in, and more radioactive than a human definately would be."

Rex asked, "So you think that if one of us is as radioactive as that," he pointed at the Hardcase-Thing, "they're not human."

"Precisely. Watch." Cody picked up one of the geiger counters and turned it on as he approached the legs of the Hardcase-Thing. The light began to flash and the geiger began to click. "It isn't as much as it was in the spacecraft, but it is radioactive. I can only guess that some of it is hidden when it imitates a human, but there is radiation coming from it."

Vartan was awestruck, "Incredible. So, who's first?"

 **-0-**

None of the people in the room noticed the shimmering form at the window. Nightblood was impressed, but also troubled. The one called Cody had discovered a way to detect the weapon, but it was odd. Something was off. In all his kind's previous experiences with the weapon, it was not radioactive. But the ooman's detector had proven that the remains of a Thing were radioactive. What had the Berserker done to it?

Nightblood called over Straight Spear. "Keep watch here. If one of them tries to escape, kill them. I must report back to the homeworld. The weapon has been modified somehow, they need to know."

Straight Spear nodded, "And then we'll finally get to hunt?"

Nightblood laughed as he nodded, "Yes my friend. Take any action you deem necessary. Hunt well." With that, he was off running, he had to return to the ship. Reinforcements were incoming, and they had to know of the Thing's weakness. He was quite an experienced hunter, and he knew: they were entering the endgame.

 **So, Cody has found a test and we are entering the endgame. Be honest, were you ever expecting him to be the one to find it?**

 **I wonder who will make it? One thing is for sure, the death toll is about to ramp up. The next chapter should be up hopefully by early February.**

 **Next Chapter: The Test**


	16. Chapter 15: Things Fall Apart

**Ugh… at least seven essays this month! How the hell did I find time to write this?**

 **Not to mention I messed up again. I just realized that I put the date as March 9 in the last chapter instead of the correct month of February. Needless to say that and a couple other time errors have been fixed.**

 **As always, feel free to leave a review/comment.**

 **teresa. spanics -** I have no clue if it would actually work in real life, but I got the idea from the 1951 film and how they used geiger counters to locate the Thing and know when it was near. I just didn't want to overuse the blood test and wanted to try something different (creative license I guess?). But, if you ever find yourself pitted against a malevolent shape-shifting alien that may or may not be one of your friends, don't try this, stick to the blood test.

 **killernooch -** We can all be forgetful at times. I'm glad you liked the last couple chapters, even though Fives died. I hope you enjoy this one as well!

 **200 Miles West of Peary Station, Radar Station 14, Soviet Union, February 9, 1970, 1200 Hours…**

Colonel Karilyev walked into the radio room of Station 14. They rarely received radio messages up here, being how Station 14 was the closest to the United States out of all Soviet radar outposts. Not to mention it was also supposedly a secret base, but an American plane had spotted it months ago. The station was in Soviet territory, so nothing bad necessarily had happened, yet.

Needless to say it had to have been extremely important for a radio message to be sent here. The radio operator, Corporal Mikhail, was pale faced when Karilyev walked in. "Something wrong?"

"No, Colonel, sir. It's just the message." His hand trembled as he handed it to Karilyev. Karilyev's eyebrows shot up when he read who it was sent by. "General Grievous?" Karilyev knew of Grievous's position, so what did the commander of Spetsnaz want with him?

It read:

 _COLONEL KARILYEV._

 _UNDER ORDERS OF PREMIER DOOKU AND MYSELF, YOU ARE TO INVESTIGATE THE DISAPPEARANCE OF AN ALFA GROUP SQUAD UNDER THE COMMAND OF KGB AGENT VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV. LAST KNOWN POSITION ABOUT 150 MILES NORTHWEST OF YOUR POSITION. STRANGE AIRCRAFT CRASH REASON FOR SQUAD'S DEPLOYMENT._

 _AMERICAN INVOLVEMENT A POSSIBILITY. INTELLIGENCE REPORTS AN AMERICAN SPECIAL FORCES UNIT IN AREA. SHOOT TO KILL IF NECESSARY._

 _REPORT BACK._

 _GENERAL GRIEVOUS._

Karilyev put the message down and turned to Mikhail, "Tell Kolpakov to ready the chopper. I want Tamson and Sobeck to gear up and meet me there."

"Yes, sir, Colonel!" Mikhail saluted and turned to the intercom. Karilyev felt a sinking feeling, if American Special Forces were up here, there could be some major trouble coming up.

Just over an hour later, one of Station 14's two choppers was flying northwest towards the coordinates Grievous had provided. Corporal Kolpakov sat in front, flying the chopper. Karilyev sat in the copilot seat while Sergeant Riff Tamson and Lieutenant Osi Sobeck sat behind them.

Karilyev was worried that the Americans were involved, he didn't quite trust them. He didn't trust anyone, that was how he made his way up the ranks in the Soviet Union. He was pretty sure that one of the crew at Station 14 was a KGB agent or party member. Possibly one of the civilians, possibly one of the military personnel.

Kolpakov gasped and Karilyev turned to him, "What?"

Kolpakov said nothing, only pointed. Karilyev and the others followed his direction and their eyes all widened at what they saw. Isachenkov's camp had been utterly annihilated. Blackened tents and soot indicated it had caught on fire, and corpses were strewn about, covered in a fresh layer of snow. Kolpakov set the chopper down in the middle of it. Whoever had done this, they were long gone by now.

Karilyev turned to Kolpakov, "Radio back to base, tell them Isachenkov's group is dead." Kolpakov nodded and turned on his radio. Unslinging their weapons, the three Russians warily entered the camp.

 **Peary Station, 1320 Hours…**

Cody looked around the room, scrutinizing everyone present. Some of the were human, others not. Vindi was glaring daggers at him and said in a cold voice, "Commander, you will not destroy any of these creatures you may find."

Rex scoffed, "Not happening."

Cody nodded, "Just watch us." The crowd rippled with murmurs of agreement from everyone but Fox, who just sat alone, head in his hands. Cody turned to the man with the flamethrower, "Kix, would you like to go first?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Probably not."

"Let's get this over with then." Kix shrugged off his weapons and handed them to Rex. Rex held the flamethrower and put Kix's sidearm on the table.

Cody nodded, "Stand in the corner." Kix complied and Cody approached him, holding the probe out in front of him. The geiger counter remained silent, the light staying off.

"Is he clean?" Ahsoka asked.

"Should be," Cody responded, "although until this is proven, we're all still under suspicion though. Now you, Rex."

Kix took the flamethrower back, and Rex took his place. No one expected anything to happen, most believed Rex was human. Fives had been when he died, so they expected Rex to be human as well. Their assumptions were proven correct, as the geiger remained silent. Cody handed him the geiger, "Now do me."

Rex took it and tested Cody. Nothing.

Vindi laughed, "Your test appears to be a crock of shit, Commander."

"We'll see. Boil, you're up." Cody appeared to be calm, but inside, he was as fragile as the icicles that hung from the roof outside. This test worked, it had to work! Boil stood in the same spot, unarmed, with every weapon in the room pointed at him. As usual. Cody approached with the probe. As usual.

 _CLICK!_ Cody stiffened, as did everyone in the room. _CLICK! CLICK!_ The geiger counter reacted, the light blinking, as Cody cautiously extended the probe in his hand nearer to Boil. _CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK!_

Rex yelled, "Cody! Get back!" as Boil began to convulse wildly, its back arching. Its eyes began to enlarge like golf balls. The Boil-Thing's skin bubbled wildly like boiling water, popping and spewing blood. Its eyes burst, blood cascading down its face.

Kix wasted no time in torching the Thing. It flailed about madly, knocking furniture over as it burned. The room thundered with gunfire. The Boil-Thing jerked as it endured multiple gunshots to the torso. Kix fired again and it fell to the ground in a heap of burning biomass.

 **-0-**

Fox sighed heavily to himself as the last of the fires was extinguished. Boil was a good friend, and a good member of his crew. How many more would die because of his mistake? Rex's voice called him out of his thoughts. "Fox, you're up."

Fox merely nodded as Rex led him to the spot, and everyone backed away from him. Cody approached him with the probe and commenced the test. Fox squeezed his eyes shut, he thought he was human, but there was this voice, this fear in the back of his mind that he had always been the Thing, that he had been sabotaging his friends and making them this paranoid.

"Fox." He didn't hear Cody's voice.

"Fox?" This time, he heard it faintly, but refused to open his eyes in fear that all he would see was the business end of Kix's flamethrower.

"FOX!" Fox's eyes snapped open as Cody smacked him across the face. "You're clean. You're human."

Fox released the breath he had been holding. He was human! Now all he had to do was kill the rest of these Things. Sure, he may be court-martialed upon return, Vindi may kill him or have him killed, but he was alive now, and he intended to end this Thing. If it escaped, he shuddered at the thought.

Fox returned to his seat as Vartan, Hevy, Ahsoka, Kaedan, and Barriss were all tested. The geiger remained silent. All were clean. All were human. Fox was relieved at that. He may not have shown it, but he liked Kaedan and Barriss and hoped he could keep them alive.

Cody turned to the next one, "Selda, your turn."

Selda nodded and silently walked to the corner. Cody recalibrated the geiger again, setting it up for the next run. "Waxer, you're next after Selda. After you…" he turned and looked at Vindi, who merely glared at him.

Ahsoka spoke up, "Can we save ourselves the trouble and just burn Vindi now?"

A chuckle went around the room. "Sorry Ahsoka, I can give you the torch when we test him if you want."

Ahsoka smirked at Kix, "Thanks. I'll take you up on that offer."

Cody began the test, approaching Selda. Selda stood stoically before him, waiting for it to be over. A thrashing sound came from behind him, followed by gurgling and hissing. Kix gave a shout of pain and Cody whirled to see Kix impaled through the back by a writhing bony tentacle. It extended from none other than Waxer, and had thrust through the fuel tank of the flamethrower through Kix's chest. It retracted and Kix fell forward in a pool of blood as fuel sprayed from the punctured tank.

"No!" Rex shouted and fired at the Waxer-Thing, which had shredded its bonds and jumped up to the ceiling. Bristly legs pierced through the sides of the Waxer-Thing's torso and it crawled across the ceiling like some kind of sick, twisted spider, dripping blood and gore onto the ground.

Hevy fired at it with the Thumper, blowing a hole in the ceiling as the Waxer-Thing evaded the blast. It crawled out through the hole, into the howling wind of the day.

Another sound pierced the gunfire, and Vartan whirled to see what used to be Selda transforming into another hideous mutation. It began to move towards the nearest human: Ahsoka. She didn't notice it, she was transfixed by the Waxer-Thing.

Vartan didn't think, he only acted. He dove for her, tackling her out of the Selda-Thing's way. They fell to the ground in a heap. It roared in frustration and slashed at them. Vartan saw it coming out of the corner of his eye and threw Ahsoka to the side to protect her. The Selda-Thing's fingers morphed into claws, slashing Vartan across the chest.

Hevy had reloaded his M79, heard Vartan's cry and raised his grenade launcher at the Selda-Thing. He fired. But, it saw it coming and grabbed Vartan's body, positioning him as a human shield. The grenade made contact, blowing Vartan apart. Hevy stumbled back in shock and horror at what he had just done.

The spraying fuel from the ruptured tank of the flamethrower caught fire. Rex yelled, "Fall back! Fall back now!" The fire reached the tank, erupting in an explosion that threw Cody against the wall and spewed flaming material onto Fox. He screamed as his clothing caught fire, burning him. Rex dragged him out the door and tried smothering the flames. Kaedan grabbed a fire extinguisher and sprayed him.

The last survivors retreated from the room: Ahsoka, Kaedan, Barriss, Hevy, Cody, Fox, and Rex. Rex looked back into the room and saw the chair where Vindi had sat was vacant, the ropes hanging slack as they burned. The Selda-Thing grabbed Vartan's remains and burst through the wall as Rex slammed the door shut.

 **Outside…**

Straight Spear saw both Things escape, and he sent a message to Nightblood. Nightblood responded and told him that he would track down and care of one, while Straight Spear would target the one still at the ooman camp.

Stealthily, he crept up on the Thing lounging near the fires of the camp. It was smart, not only was it kept warm by the blaze, but Straight Spear was unable to see it amongst the fire. He switched his vision from infra-red to ultraviolet to enhanced motion tracking, scanning the blaze. At last, he saw and heard it. It was in the process of absorbing one of the oomans, growing bigger by the second.

He approached it, plasma cannon sliding up into firing position on his shoulder. He opened fire and the Thing roared in response, retreating back around the corner of the station. Straight Spear pulled out his combistick, and the two ends shot out. SCHNICK! Locking in place. His wristblades extended as well as the Predator carefully edged around the corner.

Nothing. Nothing but footprints. Footprints leading to the hole in the roof of the ooman camp's storage room. It had gone back inside.

Straight Spear laughed to himself. It was time to hunt.

 **Hope y'all enjoyed it. Hopefully I can get the next chapter out by late February.** **Next Chapter: Explosive Confrontations**


	17. Chapter 16: Take No Prisoners

**Hello there! Again, so sorry for taking so long to update. I've just felt burned out recently and have fallen into the dilemma known as writer's block. I also just haven't felt that much motivation in writing this. Therefore, after the Peary Station arc is finished (one more chapter after this), I will be putting this on hiatus while I work on other projects. One of them is described on my profile, the Fog of War series, and the other will be my version of how I believe the Sequel trilogy could be better. Plan to see one of those, probably the latter, up on May 4th, hopefully.**

 **BONUS: To (partially) make up for taking so long, this chapter is a bit longer than usual AND I have included a famous prequel meme somewhere in this chapter. Let me know if you can find it!**

 **I am not abandoning this, just postponing this for a little while after the next chapter. As always, feel free to leave a comment or review. And if you're really enjoying this, please either favorite or follow, and spread the word to your friends! Thank you!**

 **killernooch -** All I can promise that there will be a Predator vs. the Thing fight. I hope you enjoy it!

 **teresa. spanics -** The Americans sure do have a lot to handle. Who will survive and who will fall? They won't encounter the Soviets for a couple chapters though. I do hope you enjoy this chapter! It's the second-to-last one before I go on hiatus for a bit.

 **Radar Station 14, Soviet Union, February 9, 1970, 1635 Hours Local Time…**

Karilyev looked warily at the rest of his military crew over the bodies they recovered. "This is all we found at the camp. Mutilated bodies, they deserved better. What's worse, we found the remains of standard-issue American military boots headed into and leaving the site. Classified intelligence was also missing."

"They attacked us!" Tamson shouted. "This is an act of war!"

Murmurs rippled through the gathered Russians. "Don't be hasty." Karilyev said, picking up a chess piece from a board in the rec room. "Americans may attack us, but they don't mutilate corpses or string them up. Besides, no American weaponry could inflict the carnage we saw. Their weapons don't chop off arms and cauterize them."

"They could be experimenting! Our comrades were a test for them!"

Alexei shrugged, looking up from a picture. "But what about this block you found?"

Karilyev shook his head, "Without the intel that the Americans took, I don't know. General Grievous' message said they were investigating a crash site."

Kolpakov spoke up, "Say, while we were approaching, I thought I saw something odd, an anomaly, in the distance. Not to mention something was messing up my instruments."

Karilyev nodded, "It just doesn't add up. Something killed Isachenkov and his men. Then, I believe the Americans stumbled upon the site. They must have been en route to the same crash site Isachenkov was, and decided to take whatever they could use."

Boris spoke, "How do you figure that?"

"Several things. One, the wounds and severity of the wounds. No one was killed by gunfire, but through some kind of energy or a blade. Two, Isachenkov and the last of his men were killed firing in all directions, as if they didn't know where their attackers were coming from. Three, the Americans approached from one direction, then fanned out, but not enough to explain the formation that our comrades were found in. Four, the block of ice held something that burst out. What it was, I don't know. But that is what I believe killed them."

Karilyev glanced over to Mikhail, "Mikhail, I want you to prep the radio to send a message to the General. Tell him that we found Isachenkov and his group dead and classified intel missing, but I don't think the Americans killed them. Let him know that I will return to the spot and what they were searching for in the morning and will alert him to what I find."

"Yes sir."

They were about to disperse when Surkov, one of the civilians, ran in. "Colonel, sir! We've detected an explosion a couple hundred miles east of here. At a radar station in US territory."

Kolpakov turned to Karilyev, "It seems our American friends have suffered the same fate as Isachenkov."

"At the moment, I don't know what to think. Regardless, it's in US territory. We can't intervene."

 **-0-**

 **Earlier, Peary Station…**

The fire continued to burn, illuminating the sky as the sun began to inch ever closer to the horizon. Soon, the darkness would come, and the Thing would strike. The flames leaped from the common room to the kitchen, hungrily consuming what they could. Something exploded, shaking the building's foundation.

The survivors rushed down nervously the hallway, watching every corner and every movement as they neared a safe haven, the hangar. Reaching it, they slammed the door shut. Hevy guided both Kaedan and Ahsoka to a bench, sitting both shaken girls down. They had all watched Vartan die at the brutal hands of the Thing.

Ahsoka shivered, it had had her, but Vartan had saved her. He was a father to her. All the nice things that he had done for her years ago: comforting her when she had nightmares of her actual parents' deaths, entertaining her, Kaedan, and Miara when they were bored or helping them with schoolwork, and everything else, gone in the blink of an eye.

"We need a plan." Rex said. "We know we're all human. We need to do something."

"With what?" Cody responded, "The flamethrower's gone! Useless!"

Fox spoke up, "We destroy this base, get the explosives Fives put in the supply room and re-lay them in the generator room. We put gasoline and kerosene throughout the base and that'll light it up for good."

"No. It won't." Barriss said from the shelf she was leaning against. "As we fled, I saw one of them fleeing into the snow. To the northwest."

The Rangers and SEALs looked at each other. They knew where it was headed. Rex said, "Then we split up. One group stays here and makes sure that the one here dies, and the other chases after the other Thing."

"With what? The snowmobiles? We'll be buried alive in this storm!"

"Well what other options do you have?"

The soldiers began yelling back and forth at each other, hysteria setting in.

"We can fly."

"What?" Hevy turned to look at Ahsoka, who had spoken softly, still staring blankly at the ground in front of her. "What did you say?"

"We can fly after it." She said, louder this time. "The weather's not great, but good enough to get in the air, the helo's fueled."

"I'm sorry." Fox squinted at her, "But didn't you disable the other one as well. They're going nowhere without that distributor cap you destroyed."

"I only destroyed one." Ahsoka looked up. Everyone could see the fire in her eyes. "The other's still intact. I can repair it in a few minutes. We can't let that Thing escape."

Rex looked over at Cody, "The snowmobiles might be useless, but the tractor isn't." He was referring to the tractor that Boil and Waxer used to move the Hueys in and out of the hangar. It was designed to traverse snow drifts and was sheltered. Offering protection from the storm. "That'll take a few people."

"What do you mean, Rex?" Cody was puzzled.

"We evac those we can. We need to get Barriss and Kaedan out of here and we don't have enough time to fly back to base, then catch the other Thing. They can take the tractor back to civilization."

"What about Ahsoka?" Kaedan said, eyes wide in shock and fear. The thought of Ahsoka dying here like Vartan made her feel like throwing up.

It was Ahsoka who responded, "I need to stay. I'm the only one who can fly a chopper in this weather."

"I'm not abandoning you here!" Kaedan said. She looked over at Barriss who nodded in agreement.

"You're not. If we fail, we need someone to know about what happened here. We don't have enough weapons anymore to protect all of us."

Slowly, Fox nodded, as did Cody and Heavy. Kaedan looked Ahsoka in the eyes, and started crying. This might be the last time she saw Ahsoka, ever, and that thought was unbearable. Ahsoka pulled her into a hug, and Kaedan buried her face in Ahsoka's shoulder. There was so much she wanted to say, but all she could was: "Be safe."

Rex looked over to Cody and pulled him aside, "You take them back. The closest base to here is Canadian at Tuktoyaktuk. Protect them."

Cody nodded, and Rex could see the tears in his eyes, "I'm sorry."

"I am too. Now get going."

 **-0-**

Rex watched the tractor disappear into the wind and fog. He had given Cody a flare gun and some grenades, but hopefully, they wouldn't need them. They had pulled out Ahsoka's Huey before they left and the pilot was working on reinstalling the engine parts she had taken out. It was a matter of minutes before she lit a flare and began to heat up the battery and engine block.

Fox and Hevy spent this time gathering Fives' explosives and pouring gasoline in the other buildings. There was no sign of the Thing, nor any sign of Vindi. They stayed away from the burning areas, they wouldn't need any help to destroy that. All the while, they were on the lookout for Vindi, the Thing, or whatever might else be trying to kill them. It was eerily quiet, except for the crackling of the flames.

They returned from their duty to find Rex setting the explosives all around the generator. This room was filled with gas tanks, machinery, and other assorted items that would go boom. A couple of the few weapons they still had were with Ahsoka.

Rex looked up as they entered. "That's the last of them."

"So what now?" Fox asked. He had completely given up command to Rex. Rex was the one who had suspected this would be a problem from the beginning, and now, Fox was totally fine with letting him finish it out.

Rex looked uneasy, "At least one of us has to be here to set it off. The others go with Ahsoka in the chopper." Rex hated the fact that they were basically leaving one of their own to die here, alone. Rex had never left a man behind before. Not even when he had been ambushed leading a South Vietnamese raid in Cambodia, he was one of the two survivors. He had dragged and carried a wounded soldier several miles to safety while fighting off the Viet Cong he had encountered on the way. That wounded soldier had been Cody.

Hevy immediately said, "I'll stay." His squad was his life, his family. He needed to get revenge for them. Chances were that none of them would escape this ordeal alive, so might as well go out fighting.

"I'll stay here then too." Rex said. Staring at Hevy, he said, "One of us can still set it off if the other is taken out. Besides, my Rangers will either win here, or die trying."

"No way, Rex." Fox said. "I'll stay. You and Airman Tano go fry the other bastard."

"This isn't your style, Fox."

"Guess I've picked up some bad habits from you, Rex. Don't argue with me, this is my base. I have to see this through. Get to that chopper and come back for us. We'll be waiting."

Rex was silent for a moment. "You know you can't win this one."

Fox just stared back. He thought of all his people that he had lost: Vartan, Selda, Boil, and Waxer. He thought of Kaedan and Barriss, freezing on the way back to civilization. He thought of Vindi and his blood boiled. He had let that damn fool seperate himself from his people and condemn them to death. But it was Fox who had done that, not Vindi. As easy as it would be to blame Vindi for all the shit that had happened here, it was Fox that allowed it to occur. In that moment, Fox hated himself and hated his actions. He shouldn't be allowed to go home, but there was another option. "Maybe I can get even."

Rex nodded and went to leave. "Rex!" He turned to Hevy, who tossed the M79 to him. Rex caught it in one hand and shared a look with both of them. Hevy and Fox. They all knew it was farewell. "We'll be back."

But despite all the confidence and bravado they all exuded, those words still felt hollow.

 **-0-**

Elsewhere in Peary Station, Vindi walked through the hallways. He needed to find his creature, find it so he could save it from the hideous fate the others were planning for it. He had heard the tractor leave and the helicopter shortly after that. They had abandoned this place, but they were going to destroy it. He could smell the gasoline he was stepping in. They didn't understand. They never would. Too caught up in the old ways of warfare and espionage. They were obsolete. He was not.

A strange clicking sound brought Vindi out of his thoughts. It was odd, almost like a rattlesnake, but it was too cold for snakes up here. There was a splash, a series of splashes, from behind him. Vindi turned, seeing ripples in the puddles of gasoline, and a hulking brute of a creature materialized behind him in a shower of electric-like lines. The humanoid was heavily muscled, at least 7 feet tall, and clad in armor of some type. It stared at him through a skull-like face mask, and it had knives on one wrist. The other alien creature had shown itself at last.

Vindi was not scared of it, he was amazed. This creature was heavily armed, and highly lethal, yet Vindi stared at it in awe. It looked like a hunter, and Vindi began to think as it regarded him. If he could bring this creature back, the US would have an unstoppable super soldier. He suspected it could thrive in a jungle, and it appeared to have incredible camouflage. They could finally win in Vietnam and show the Soviets that America was not to be trifled.

He reached out to speak to the being, when a squishing, slurping sound came from behind him. The hunter tensed and Vindi turned to see the Thing facing them from the other side of the hallway. It screeched at the sight of the hunter, and the hunter returned it with a bellow. Something slid up from the hunter's back, locking in place on the hunter's shoulder. From it lanced a bright light, and a stream of plasma launched itself towards the Thing.

Vindi watched in horror as the Thing was hit by the weapon, part of it being blown off. The plasma also touched off some of the gasoline at the end of the tunnel. The Thing wailed as it escaped the flames. Vindi turned back to the hunter, in shock, screaming, "You want to kill it too!"

The hunter disregarded him, throwing him to the side as it readied itself for battle and began to stalk after the Thing. Vindi screamed in rage and jumped at the hunter, pulling out the kitchen knife he used to cut himself free. He managed to get to the hunter and stabbed at its back. The blade pierced the hunter's skin in a spot not covered by its armor and the being screamed in rage and pain. Lime green blood coated the metal of the blade, and Vindi smiled to himself in satisfaction. He could kill this hunter, then he would take its technology back. The US would still be unbeatable.

The hunter reacted by pulling out an intricately carved tube, and with a flick of its wrist, the ends of the spear shot out, one of them going straight into Vindi's chest. He gasped in pain and surprise, gripping the blade that had pierced his stomach. The hunter twirled the spear, bringing Vindi above him in an arc until he hit the ground, landing face first in the gasoline on the ground.

His back erupted in pain as the hunter dug its claws into him, and he could feel the hunter's fist close around Vindi's spine. All Vindi could do was scream as it was ripped from his body.

 **-0-**

Straight Spear looked down at the now headless ooman corpse before him. The fool had attacked him from behind, a show of disrespect and dishonorable fighting, so Straight Spear had killed him. And he now had a new trophy that would make a fine addition to his collection. But the weapon was around here somewhere, he had fired at it, and now it was time to finish this.

Putting the ooman's skull in his pack, Straight Spear walked straight through the fire. The heat blinded his heat vision, so Straight Spear ran through the far as quick as possible. Fighting blind was not smart, and there was no honor in a foolish death. The weapon was around here somewhere, and Straight Spear was ready for it.

His mask's enhanced hearing alerted him to the threat and he quickly evaded as the weapon dropped from the ceiling. His wristblades severed the tentacle that had attacked him and he quickly backpedaled to put some distance in between them. Going hand to hand against the weapon was foolish. If he suffered even a single scratch, it could be the end of him. Straight Spear held his spear high above him and bellowed loudly, a challenge to the weapon. This battle would end with one or both of their deaths. Straight Spear would give no quarter, and neither would it.

The weapon screeched back and attacked, throwing multiple tentacles at him in an attempt to overwhelm him. Straight Spear parried each blow with his blades, slicing through some and giving ground when necessary. The severed ends grew insectoid like legs themselves and continued to attack, trying to swarm him. The triangle dots of Straight Spear's plasmacaster tracked each and every one of them, blasting them away.

The plasma ignited the gasoline lying in puddles on the ground and the rest of the centipede-like creatures shrieked as they crisped and burned in the fire. The weapon evaded the flames, jumping up to the ceiling and morphing as it did. It screeched at him with hatred as it crawled across the ceiling towards him.

Nightblood was right. This creature was changed. It was now more than a species, it was a bioweapon capable of annihilating everything, everywhere. A perfect organism that was capable of surviving and adapting in any area, no matter the climate or terrain. The Berserker was a fool, and his spawn had to be stopped at any cost. At that moment, Straight Spear felt like he was missing someone, someone who had always been at his side. The Berserker had killed his brother, his kin, and now Straight Spear had the chance to kill the spawn of the Berserker. Revenge coursed through him and his bloodlust grew to levels it never had before. Nightblood may have warned him against this, but right now, all Straight Spear cared about was revenge, no matter who stood in the way.

Straight Spear blasted away with his plasmacaster, the weapon shifting and changing every time so his shots missed, only blowing holes in the roof. The fire was spreading, hungrily licking at the walls and racing towards him. Straight Spear turned and blasted another hole in the roof, jumping through it and stopping on the roof. He turned as the weapon skittered towards him from the hole, and Straight Spear fired again.

His shot hit the weapon dead center on what might have been a face. It shrieked in rage, shedding its singed face like a snake sheds its skin. Straight Spear reached to his hip and grabbed the smart disc, activating it and hurling it at the weapon. If he could immobilize it, he could use the acid against it and wipe it out for good.

The disc sliced through the weapon, cutting it into two. Now was his chance!

As the disc flew back to him, Straight Spear whipped out the dissolving liquid and threw it at the weapon. The vial burst and the acid splashed onto it. It howled and shrieked in pain as the acid ate its way through the weapon's flesh. Both pieces dragged themselves towards him, trying in vain to kill the Predator. He whipped out another vial and threw it onto the closer half, the smaller half. Completely coated, the weapon bubbled away into nothing more than a pile of goop.

His mask alerted him to the next attack, and he spun and narrowly avoided the desperate flurry of tentacles that the weapon sent his way. It was losing and Straight Spear knew it. His blades sliced through the weapon, hacking it to pieces, and his plasmacaster blasted away again and again until there was nothing left of the weapon but burning pieces of biomatter.

Straight Spear chuckled, the battle was his. He took out one of the last vials he had and let it fall onto the remains of the weapon. As his bloodlust abated, he began to laugh.

The roof under him erupted in a mass of writhing tentacles, grabbing hold of the surprised Predator. There was no hope of survival, once it had you, you were done for. Straight Spear reached for his wrist computer, to start the self-destruct sequence, but the tentacles wrapped around his arm, completely covering it. It knew about that and had intentionally prevented him from starting it.

As he was dragged down into the maw, Straight Spear realized his error. In his bloodlust, he had failed to realize that not all the weapon had come through the roof, and that he had only killed part of it. He was the stronger fighter, the better equipped fighter, but it had been smarter. It had waited until his defenses were down before striking. Claws at the end of the tentacle-like arms grabbed and tore at his bio-mask, and Straight Spear howled in pain, anger, and rage as the Berserker and his weapon claimed yet another Predator.

 **-0-**

Hevy and Fox had heard the battle, but didn't know what to do. They both knew they would die here. They had no weapons, no escape, and no hope of killing the Thing and surviving. Both of them accepted that. They had to stop it from escaping and the best way to do that was by destroying the base.

Hevy looked at Fox, "I'll check."

"Right."

Even with the lights on, the atmosphere in Peary Station was spooky. These halls had once been alive, filled with the smell of living people and food. Now they were abandoned and smelled of gasoline.

Fox looked at him from the doorway, "See anything?"

"No."

Thumping sounds were heard, as if something was running across the roof. The two soldiers nodded at each other and Hevy primed the detonator. They needed the Thing to be in sight, to know for certain that it would die. If possible, it would need to be in the generator room. But that was only a best case scenario.

Hevy stood at the detonator, Fox at the doorway, as the thumping came nearer. It stopped, and they glanced at each other. It was here, but they needed it to be here among them to know that it was truly dead.

There was a blinding flash of light and a humongous boom as the roof was caved in from above. The Thing dropped down among them, but it was different. Larger. It had taken on a new shape, a humanoid one, that towered above them at seven or eight feet tall. It was now heavily muscled and wore some kind of… armor? A glinting blade slashed out, catching Hevy across the chest. He fell backwards, the detonator flying from his grip.

"Hevy!" Fox yelled. Fox opened fire with an M16, knowing full well that it would do nothing against the Thing. He would only slow it down. Lime green blood erupted from the bullet wounds.

Hevy stared at it in shock. The same blood they had found in the snow at the crash site! Was this creature the Thing? Or something else?

All doubts were put to rest when the same blood curdling screech came from its mouth. Hevy crawled over to the detonator, grabbing it. He turned to see the Thing advancing on Fox, who to his credit, did not stop fighting. Fox's magazine in the rifle ran dry and he dropped it, pulling out his handgun and resuming fire. Hevy yelled, "Fox! RUN!"

Fox turned to him, as did the Thing, and Hevy nodded. "GO! Get out of here!" Sadly, with tears welling in his eyes, Fox nodded in acceptance and turned to run, sprinting through the burning base.

The Thing approached Hevy, noticing the danger he posed with the detonator in his grip. Fox had nowhere to go. Nowhere to run to. Hevy was about to blow the base and the Thing could easily track him down once it had dispatched the Ranger. Hevy stared back at it stoicly. He had only ever been captured once, it Vietnam, and he had been able to endure that. He wondered if this thing, or the ones who would use it, like those that built the ship that crashed or those like Vindi, he wondered if they would ever take prisoners.

Hevy knew the answer to that question. He wouldn't either.

Hevy pressed the button, and the room erupted in a blaze of fire and light.

 **Next Chapter: Ahsoka, Rex, Nightblood, and the Thing's paths all cross out on the Arctic snow.**

 **I hope to have the next chapter up on May 4th as well, but I can't promise anything (you all saw how late this chapter was). All we can do is wait and see. Until then!**


End file.
